The Relationship Between Social Protection and Stunting Incidence in Toddlers

Abstract

A child is classified as stunted if the length or height according to age is lower than the applicable national standard. The study showed that heredity only slightly (4-7% in women) affects a person's height at birth. In contrast, the influence of environmental factors at birth was very large (74-87% in women). This proves that supportive ecological conditions can help children's growth and development. The research design in this study is analytic with a cross-sectional approach. Data analysis used univariate and multivariate analysis. The results of the analysis of the relationship between social protection ownership showed that as many as 159 (71.0%) toddlers who did not have social protection were stunted. Meanwhile, among toddlers with social protection, 94 (55.0%) experience stunting. The results of the analysis obtained OR = 2.004 meaning that toddlers who do not have social protection have a 2.004 chance times to experience stunting compared to toddlers who have social protection. There is a significant relationship between social protection and the incidence of stunting in children aged 0-59 months in Pringsewu Regency in 2021 (p-value = 0.001, OR = 2.004).