Journal for Quality in Women's Health DOI : https://doi.
org/10.
30994/jqwh.
https://jqwh.
ISSN: 2615-6660 .
2615-6644 .
Vol.
8 No 2.
September 2025.
Page 128-134
THE
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN
EXCLUSIVE
BREASTFEEDING
HISTORY
AND
STUNTING
INCIDENCE IN CHILDREN AGED 7-36 MONTHS IN THE
KERA AREA OF PESANTREN I HEALTH CENTER.
KEDIRI
CITY
Rahma Kusuma Dewi1.
Lindha Sri Kusumawati 2.
Mayasari Putri Ardela3.
Siti Aminah4.
Erna Zuli Oktavia5.
Dwi Ayu Lestari6 1 2 3 4 Program Studi Pendidikan Profesi Bidan.
Fakultas Ilmu Kesehatan.
Universitas Kadiri Mahasiswa Program Studi Sarjana Kebidanan.
Fakultas Ilmu Kesehatan.
Universitas Kadiri Email: 1rahmakusumadewi@unik-kediri.
id, 2lindhasrikusumawati@unik-kadiri.
3mayasariputriardela@unik-kadiri.
id, 4sitiaminah@unik-kadiri.
Phone: 62 812-2944-0101
ABSTRACT
Stunting results from nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy and early childhood, hindering physical growth and brain development.
Risk factors for stunting include maternal, child, and environmental conditions, which, if unaddressed, can lead to impaired physical, cognitive, and motor development, affecting a child's future quality of This study aims to examine the relationship between risk factors and stunting among children aged 24Ae59 months in the working area of Puskesmas Semen.
Kediri Regency, in A correlational approach was used with a sample of 189 randomly selected children, and data were analyzed using the Chi-Square test.
Low maternal education increased the risk of stunting (RR 0.
3, p < 0.
, while middle and higher education levels were not Non-exclusive breastfeeding (RR 2.
9, p < 0.
, low birth weight (RR 2.
6, p < .
, and short birth length (RR 2.
2, p < 0.
were associated with higher stunting risk.
Mothers shorter than 150 cm were also at greater risk (RR 1.
6, p < 0.
Enhancing maternal education, promoting exclusive breastfeeding, and monitoring birth weight, birth length, and maternal height during pregnancy are essential for stunting prevention.
Keywords: Children Aged 24-59 Months.
Incidence.
Risk Factors.
Stunting Journal for Quality in Women's Health | 128
Journal for Quality in Women's Health
INTRODUCTION
this study aims to analyze the Stunting is a condition of growth relationship between a history of failure caused by chronic malnutrition, exclusive both during pregnancy and early incidence of stunting in children aged 7childhood.
Children who experience 36 months in the working area of stunting are at risk of not reaching their Pesantren I Public Health Center.
Kediri optimal height potential and maximum City, in 2022.
Additionally, stunting in Globally, early childhood can affect motor approximately 151 million children development, academic achievement, under five suffer from stunting due to and long-term economic potential (Islam poor nutritional intake and diseases that et al.
, 2.
Stunted children also have hinder their growth.
These children an increased risk of mortality and require medical attention and adequate infectious morbidity, impaired cognitive nutritional intake to survive.
development, and a higher likelihood of According to UNICEF, one of the developing non-communicable diseases causes of stunting is an unbalanced diet.
in adulthood (Kang & Kim, 2.
This includes the failure to provide Stunting that occurs during the first exclusive breastfeeding for the first six 1,000 days of life, from pregnancy to the months of life.
Exclusive breastfeeding is age of two years, has significant the practice of feeding infants only breast immediate and long-term consequences.
milk, without any additional liquids or Therefore, it is crucial to understand the food, for the first six months.
Breast milk factors influencing stunting, one of contains all the essential nutrients a baby which is exclusive breastfeeding, which and has been proven to reduce the risk of Moreover, breast milk stunting.
provides protection against infectious The objective of this study is to diseases and allergies due to its antibody determine the relationship between the content (Mufdlilah, 2.
history of exclusive breastfeeding and However, in Indonesia, the coverage the incidence of stunting in children of exclusive breastfeeding is still far from aged 7-36 months in the working area of the target.
In 2021, only 71.
58% of infants Pesantren I Public Health Center.
Kediri received exclusive breastfeeding, while City.
the governmentAos target was 80% (Kemenkes, 2.
In East Java, the 2.
METHODS
exclusive breastfeeding coverage in 2020 This study adopts a cross-sectional was recorded at 61% (Profil Dinkes design.
The research population Jatim, 2.
The low coverage is caused includes all children aged 7-36 months by a lack of public awareness about the residing in the working area of Pesantren importance of exclusive breastfeeding.
I Public Health Center.
Kediri City.
The the introduction of complementary sample was randomly selected from foods before the age of six months, and children who visited the posyandu poor maternal nutrition, which affects .
ntegrated health service pos.
between breast milk production.
January and June 2022.
A total of 150 Exclusive breastfeeding is one of the children were included in the study.
key factors in preventing stunting, and Journal for Quality in Women's Health | 129 Journal for Quality in Women's Health Data analysis was conducted using the chi-square test to determine whether there is a significant relationship between the history of exclusive breastfeeding and the incidence of RESULTS Table 1 presents the distribution of respondents based on the research Tabel 1.
Distribution of respondent Variable n=189 Incidence Stunting Stunting Not Stunting Maternal Education Low Middle High Exclusive Breastfeeding History Not Exclusive Breastfeeding Exclusive Breastfeeding Birth Weight Low birth weight Normal Maternal High Short (O 150 c.
Tall (> 150 c.
Birth Length Short (O 50 c.
Tall (> 50 c.
Based on the distribution of respondents, the majority of children did not experience stunting, while some were classified as stunted.
Regarding maternal education levels, most mothers had a secondary education, followed by those with lower and higher education In terms of breastfeeding history, the majority of children received exclusive breastfeeding, while some did not.
For birth weight, most children had a normal birth weight, while others fell into the low birth weight category.
Regarding maternal height, most mothers were taller than 150 cm, while some had a height of 150 cm or less.
terms of birth length, most newborns had a birth length greater than 50 cm, while some were born with a length of 50 cm or less.
The results of the chi-square test analysis to examine the relationship between risk factor variablesAiincluding history, birth weight, maternal height, and birth lengthAiand the incidence of stunting are presented in Table 2 below.
Table 2.
The Relationship Between Risk Factors and the Incidence of Stunting in Children Aged 24-59 Months Incidence stunting Variable Stunting Not Stunting CI 95% Maternal Education Low Middle High Journal for Quality in Women's Health | 130 Journal for Quality in Women's Health Exclusive Breastfeeding History Not Exclusive Breastfeeding Exclusive Breastfeeding Birth Weight Low birth weight Normal Maternal High Short (O 150 c.
Tall (> 150 c.
Birth Length Short (O 50 c.
Tall (> 50 c.
The analysis results in Table 2 indicate a significant relationship between several risk factors and the incidence of stunting in children aged 24-59 months.
Statistically, a low maternal education level is associated with a higher risk of stunting in children, with a p-value < 0.
05 and a risk ratio (RR) of 0.
3, indicating that mothers with lower education levels are more likely to have stunted education at the secondary and higher levels did not show a significant association with stunting incidence.
The history of breastfeeding is also strongly associated with stunting.
Children who did not receive exclusive breastfeeding have a higher risk of experiencing stunting compared to those who were exclusively breastfed, with an RR of 2.
9 and a p-value < 0.
This finding highlights the crucial role preventing stunting.
Birth weight has also been proven to be related to stunting.
Children with low birth weight (LBW) are more likely to experience stunting, with an RR of 6 and a p-value < 0.
Additionally, influences stunting risk, as mothers with a height of 150 cm or less are more likely to have stunted children (RR = 6, p < 0.
Birth length is another significant risk factor for stunting.
Children born with a birth length of 50 cm or less have a higher risk of experiencing stunting compared to those with a longer birth length (RR = 2.
2, p < 0.
Practically, importance of these factors in stunting prevention, underscoring the need for attention to maternal education, exclusive breastfeeding, as well as monitoring birth weight, maternal height, and birth length to reduce stunting prevalence.
Journal for Quality in Women's Health | 131
Journal for Quality in Women's Health
DISCUSSION