Determinant Characteristics of Stunting in Babies and Toddlers in Sungai Rengit Murni, South Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

Stunting is a condition where a child fails to optimally grow and develop his/her bodily organs. Due to the high rate of stunting case in Indonesia, particularly in South Sumatra, this study aimed to determine the causes of stunting in children of 0 yr to 5 yr old as the dependent variable. Independent variables of infection, birth weight, gender, and age were studied accordingly. The purposive sampling method selected 100 babies and toddlers in Sungai Rengit Murni, Banyuasin, South Sumatra, Indonesia. The cross-sectional design applied univariate, bivariate (chi-square test), and multivariate (multiple logistic regression and backward regression tests) analyses. The result showed that while age was insignificant (0.649, P > 0.25) and infection was less significant (0.077, P > 0.05), low birth weight (0.044, P < 0.05) and gender (0.045, P < 0.05) are significant in affecting stunting.Being 61 % accurate, the independent variables of this study covered 15.1 % of known stunting cause.