THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING HISTORY AND ANIMAL PROTEIN INTAKE WITH THE INCIDENCE OF STUNTING IN INFANTS AGED 6–59 MONTHS IN NGORAN VILLAGE, NGLEGOK SUBDISTRICT, BLITAR

Abstrak

Stunting is a prevalent chronic nutritional issue in Indonesia, resulting in enduring consequences for children's physical and cognitive development.  Nutritional elements, including a history of exclusive nursing and consumption of animal protein, are believed to significantly influence stunting.  This study seeks to examine the correlation between a history of exclusive breastfeeding and animal protein consumption with the frequency of stunting in children aged 6 to 59 months in Ngoran Village, Nglegok Subdistrict, Blitar District.  This research is an observational cross-sectional study of 79 youngsters.  Data were gathered by interviews employing questionnaires, anthropometric measures, and evaluation of animal protein consumption utilizing the Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQ-FFQ) approach.  The Chi-Square test and Pearson correlation were employed for data analysis.  The findings indicated a notable correlation between a history of exclusive breastfeeding and stunting (p = 0.010), as well as between the consumption of animal protein and stunting (p = 0.011).  The strong link between the lack of exclusive breastfeeding and inadequate animal protein consumption with stunting prevalence suggests that unmet nutritional requirements from an early age elevate the risk of stunting.  Consequently, prompt dietary treatments within the initial 1,000 days of life are essential for averting stunting in children.