A Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis of Household Food and Nutrition Insecurity in Stunting and Non-Stunting Toddlers

Background: Stunting, wasting, and underweight are growth disorders in children under 5 years of age due to malnutrition in Indonesia. The level of macronutrient intake is a risk factor that directly influences stunting and wasting. Food insecurity is associated with poverty, malnutrition, and hunger. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze food and nutritional insecurity in households with stunting and non-stunting toddlers, using a multivariate model. Method: This study used a comparative cross-sectional design. Using the Lemeshow formula, 142 samples were obtained from a population of 822 children under five. Food insecurity was measured using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), diversity using IDDS, and macronutrient intake using 2x24-hour food recall. Stunting, wasting, and underweight were measured based on anthropometry. Bivariate analysis was performed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Food insecurity, energy intake, protein intake, carbohydrate intake, underweight, and maternal nutritional knowledge had a significant relationship with the incidence of stunting in toddlers. These results also showed that the underweight variable was the most dominant cause of stunting because it had the highest OR value of 18.572. The OR value showed that underweight toddlers were 18.572 times more likely to have a stunting nutritional status. Conclusions: Toddlers categorized as underweight face an 18.572 times higher likelihood of experiencing stunting in their nutritional status.