Determinants of Stunting in the Eastern Indonesia Region Based on Indonesian Family Life Survey 5 Data

Abstract

Stunting can lead to the decline in children's cognitive, motoric, and language functions, as well as various degenerative diseases during adulthood. The Eastern Indonesia (EI) region has the highest rate of stunting throughout the country. This study aims to identify and review the determinants of stunting in children aged 1-5 years old (12-60 months) in EI. This study employed an analytical cross-sectional design with secondary data sourced from the Indonesian Family Life Survey 5 (IFLS 5). The subjects were IFLS 5 child respondents aged 1-5 years old (12-60 months) living in EI. The dependent variable in this study was stunting incidence. The independent variables include consumption of animal source foods, history of diarrhea in children, and visits to Posyandu. The data were analyzed in univariate and bivariate manners with a chi-square test, and multivariately with a logistic regression test. The bivariate analysis shows that there was no relationship between consumption of animal source foods (p=0.173), history of diarrhea (p=0.801), and visits to Posyandu (p=0.061) and the stunting incidence. The univariate analysis shows that there was no relationship between consumption of animal source foods (p=0.182; OR=1.298; 95% CI =0.884-1.906), history of diarrhea (p=0.955; OR=1.011; 95% CI=0.691-1.479), and visits to Posyandu (p=0.079; OR=0.079; 95% CI=0.584-1.030) and the stunting incidence in children aged 1-5 years old in EI. Consumption of animal source foods, history of diarrhea, and visits to Posyandu are not the determinants of stunting in Eastern Indonesia.