The Relationship between Feeding Patterns and Stunting Incidence in Toddlers Aged 12-59 Months in the Working Area of Pembina Health Center, Plaju, Palembang, Indonesia

Abstract

Introduction: Stunting is a linear growth disorder caused by malnutrition and chronic infectious diseases. The food intake of a child is very highly influenced by parental feeding patterns. The more optimal the feeding of a child, of course, the more optimal the growth and development of the child, where the factor of nutrition greatly affects the growth of a child's body. This study aimed to determine the relationship between feeding patterns and the incidence of stunting in toddlers aged 12-59 months in the working area of Pembina Health Center, Plaju, Palembang, Indonesia. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional analytic observational study. A total of 100 research subjects participated in this study. Analysis of sociodemographic data and feeding patterns was carried out using SPSS software univariate and bivariate. Results: The study results show that the majority of the subject with poor feeding patterns have a greater proportion of stunting events. Meanwhile, research subjects with good feeding patterns had a smaller proportion of stunting events. The results of this study indicate that the pattern of feeding in children is related to the incidence of stunting, p<0.05. Conclusion: The pattern of feeding children is related to the incidence of stunting in toddlers aged 12-59 months in the working area of Pembina Health Center, Plaju, Palembang, Indonesia.