Stunting is now an agenda that is discussed quite often by the Indonesian Ministry of Health. However, do you know what stunting is, and why is this stunting problem so often discussed? Let's see the following article for more information about stunting!
What is stunting?
Stunting or often referred to as stunted or short, is a condition in which children under the age of five (toddlers) are unable to grow due to chronic malnutrition and repeated infections, especially in the first 1000 days of life (HPK), from fetus to child of 23 months. Children are classified as stunted if their height is less than minus two standard deviations of the height of children their age. The standard deviation is the distance between a child's height and the average height of a child of the same age according to the World Health Organization (WHO) growth chart.
What are the causes of stunting?
Stunting is an accumulated chronic nutritional problem caused by poor-quality food, infectious diseases, and the environment. Based on the framework of causes of nutritional problems "The Conceptual Framework of the Determinants of Child Undernutrition" and "The Underlying Drivers of Malnutrition", the causes of stunted growth are divided into direct and indirect causes. Direct causes include the problem of lack of nutrition and infectious diseases.
Meanwhile, indirect causes include food security (access to nutritious food), social environment (infant and child nutrition, hygiene, education, and workplace), health environment (access to preventive and curative services), and residential environment (access to clean water, drinking water, and sanitation services). These four indirect factors influence the nutritional intake and health status of mothers and children.
What is the situation of stunting in Indonesia?
Based on data from the Indonesian Nutrition Status Study (SDGI) in 2021, the national stunting rate has fallen from 37.2% in 2013 to 24.4% in 2021. However, this figure is still a long way from the target of the prevalence of stunting for children under five in 2024 from 19.4%. The target for reducing the prevalence of stunting in Indonesia is aligned with the global targets, namely the World Health Assembly (WHA) target to reduce the prevalence of stunting by 40% by 2025 compared to the 2013 conditions.
Why should stunting need to be addressed?
Stunting needs to be addressed as it can lead to suboptimal intelligence levels, metabolic changes, and immune system depression, leaving children more vulnerable to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and osteoporosis. Stunting and other nutritional deficiencies that occur at 1,000 HPK, in addition to the risk of inhibiting children's physical growth and vulnerability to disease, also inhibit cognitive development that will affect children's levels of intelligence and productivity in the future. Stunting and other nutritional problems are estimated to cause gross domestic product (GDP) to fall by about 3% per year.
How are the government's efforts to overcome stunting?
Prevention of stunting requires nutritional interventions that include specific and nutritionally sensitive interventions. Specific nutritional interventions are performed to address direct causative factors while sensitive nutritional interventions are for indirect causes. Implementation of interventions targeting priority groups in priority locations is key to the successful improvement of nutrition, child development, and prevention of dwarfism. To ensure the success of these interventions, the commitment of the highest national leadership is required.
Therefore, the government already has a legal basis to improve nutritional status in the context of accelerating the prevention of stunting, which is reflected in various laws, regulations, and policies, as well as involvement in global movements. In addition, the government's commitment to preventing stunting began at the ministerial meeting on July 12, 2017. At the meeting, it was decided that preventing stunting is important with a multi-sectoral approach through the synchronization of national, local, and community programs across the central and regional levels.
So ladies, do you have more information about stunting? To find out how big this problem is, you can also look at how many toddlers around you are stunting. In addition, you can also contribute to raising awareness about stunting, including by sharing this article with those closest to you. Don't forget to keep reading Fitie's nutrition and health articles, OK!
Sources:
International Food Policy Research Institute. (2016). From Promise to Impact Ending malnutrition by 2030. IFPRI: Washington DC.
Kementerian Kesehatan RI. Buku Saku SSGBI 2021. Jakarta: Kementerian Kesehatan RI, 2021.
Peraturan Menteri Kesehatan nomor 1995/Menkes/XII/2010.
Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Menengah Nasional (RPJMN) 2020-2024. Jakarta: Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Nasional, 2019.
TNP2K. 100 Kabupaten/Kota Perioritas untuk Intervensi Anak Kerdil (Stunting). Jakarta: Tim Nasional Percepatan Penanggulangan Kemiskinan, 2017.
UNICEF. (2013). Improving Child Nutrition, The Achievable Imperative for Global Progress. UNICEF: New York.
World Bank. (2014). Better Growth Through Improved Sanitation and Hygiene Practices. WB: Indonesia.