Gender, Birth Length and Low Birth Weight as Determinants of Stunting: A Study in Kebon Kalapa Village, Indonesia

Abstract

Aims: to reveal the relationship between Gender, Birth Length and Low Birth Weight with Stunting in Kebon Kalapa Village Sumedang in 2021. Methods: using simple cross sectional approach, all primary data obtained from children age between 2-5 years old in Kebon Kalapa Village, Sumedang west Java which eligible for the inclusion criteria.  Results: Simple analysis conducted on 130 respondents obtained using the total sampling technique revealed that the incidence of stunting in children aged 2-5 years in Kebon Kelapa Mekarsari Village, Sumedang was found to be 24.6% (n=32) and non-stunting was 75.4% (n=98). The gender distribution of respondents with female compared to male was 51.5% (n=67) vs 48.5%,(n=63) respectively. Respondent with history of short birth length (length of birth less than 48 cm) was found to be 19.2% and normal (≥48 cm) was 80.2%, while low birth weight was found to be 4.6% and normal birth weight was 95.4%. Conclusion: stunting formation in children associated with their gender, short birth length and low birth weight. The birth condition of the baby solely depend on the mother’s nutritional status and anemia condition.  This implies that it is crucial to prevent anemia since very early, e.g., in adolescent girls and in women before and during pregnancy, with the regular monitoring of nutritional status of pregnant women, as a part of programs to eliminate stunting in children.