Factors Associated with Stunting Prevention Behavior During Pregnancy in Pintu Angin Subolga Community Health Center in 2024

Abstract

Stunting is a chronic nutritional problem that remains a major challenge to health development in Indonesia. Stunting is characterized by growth failure in toddlers due to prolonged malnutrition, particularly from pregnancy to the first 1,000 days of life. The impact of stunting is not limited to a child's physical growth but can also affect cognitive development, intelligence, and future productivity, even increasing the risk of degenerative diseases in adulthood. Data from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022 indicates that the global stunting prevalence remains at 22%, while in Indonesia the prevalence in 2022 was 21.6% (Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, 2023). This indicates that the problem of stunting still requires serious attention, including prevention during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a crucial period for determining the nutritional status of the fetus. The behavior of pregnant women in preventing stunting is influenced by various factors, including knowledge about nutrition, attitudes toward the importance of prenatal care, family support, access to health services, and socioeconomic status. Pregnant women with good knowledge about nutrition, the importance of taking iron supplements, regular prenatal checkups, and a balanced diet are more likely to be able to prevent the risk of stunting in their children. Conversely, pregnant women who lack understanding of stunting risk factors and do not receive adequate support are at risk of having children with growth disorders (Aridiyah, Rohmawati, & Ririanty, 2015; Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, 2021). This study aims to determine the factors associated with stunting prevention behaviors during pregnancy in the Pintu Angin Sibolga Community Health Center (Puskesmas Pintu Angin Sibolga) working area. This type of research is an analytical study with a cross-sectional design. The study population was all pregnant women in the Pintu Angin Sibolga Community Health Center working area. The study sample was obtained using a purposive sampling technique with a total of … respondents (adjusted to the sample size). The research instrument was a structured questionnaire that had been tested for validity and reliability. The variables studied included knowledge, education, family support, and access to health services regarding stunting prevention behaviors. Data were analyzed using the Chi-Square test with a 95% confidence interval. The results showed that most pregnant women had good stunting prevention behaviors. The most dominant factor associated with stunting prevention behavior was maternal knowledge of pregnancy nutrition (p < 0.05), followed by family support and access to health services. Meanwhile, maternal attitudes were also significantly associated with stunting prevention behavior.Although its contribution is smaller than knowledge, the results of the multivariate analysis indicate that knowledge is the most influential factor in stunting prevention behavior among pregnant women in the Pintu Angin Community Health Center (Puskesmas) in Sibolga. This study concluded that knowledge, attitude, family support, and access to health services significantly correlated with stunting prevention behavior among pregnant women. The most dominant factor was maternal knowledge about stunting prevention. Therefore, interventions are needed through increased health education, nutritional counseling, and mentoring programs for pregnant women by health workers and families. The Pintu Angin Community Health Center in Sibolga is expected to strengthen health promotion activities, balanced nutrition counseling, and regular pregnancy monitoring to prevent stunting early