Stunting Risk Factors in Children Under Five in Indonesia: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Introduction: Stunting is fundamental challenge in human life development. Appropriate identification of risk factors may reduce prevalence of stunting in children under five and prevent long-term consequences of stunting until adulthood. Objective: This research aims to examine scientific publications related to risk factors of stunting in children under five in Indonesia. Methods: Scoping review with eligibility criteria including a) academic articles from online databases ProQuest, ScienceDirect, PubMed and Scopus, b) articles published in 10 years, from 2011 to 2021, c) using English language, d) children under five in Indonesia as population subject, e) outcome measured is stunting. Management of articles using Mendeley with 4 stages selection process: identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion. Results: In last 10 years, there have been 12 articles related to risk factors for stunting in children under five in Indonesia with 9 variables most identified as risk factors for stunting, namely household economic status, child gender, LBW, education level of parents/caregivers, height of parents, children’s age, exclusive breastfeeding, history of infection, and complementary feeding. Conclusions: Of the 9 variables, only 4 variables were LBW, exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding and a history of infection as variables that could be intervened and the most identified as risk factors for stunting. Longitudinal research can be carried out as a follow-up study to ascertain the causal relationship between LBW, practice of exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding and a history of infection to the incidence of stunting in children under five in Indonesia.