Determinants of stunting among children 6–23 months: a population-based study in Indonesia

Purpose Stunting is a major multifactorial health problem in Indonesia that negatively impacts children. Among Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia had the highest prevalence of child stunting (0–59 months old). As Indonesia has also the largest population in Southeast Asia, it is crucial to assess measures to decrease the prevalence of stunting in the country. Therefore, this study aims to examine the prevalence and determinants of stunting among children 6–23 under two years old in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach The study used a cross-sectional design using the national database. A total of 15,641 children aged 6–23 months were included in the study. A multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the association between the dependent and independent variables. Findings The prevalence of stunting was 18% (95% CI = 17.5%–18.7%). This study found that children aged 12–23 months were the dominant factor in stunting (OR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.92–2.36). Factors associated with stunting include being male (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.26–1.49), low birth weight (LBW) (OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.68–2.27), short birth length (SBL) (OR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.64–2.01), history of infection (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.06–1.26) and lack of dietary diversity (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.04–1.00) consumption of empty calorie drinks (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.01–1.24), unimproved sanitation (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.04–1.30), middle socioeconomic status (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.16–1.55), low maternal education (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.08–2.10) and living in a rural area (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.06–1.26). Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to analyze the prevalence and determinants of stunting among children under two years old in Indonesia using a national which represented a population of interest.