Maternal Education Level and Parental Income Toward Stunting to Students of Salulayang Elementary School in Mamuju Regency

Abstract

Stunting is a major public health problem in most developing countries and part of the risk factors toward the high incidence of diseases both directly and indirectly. In Indonesia, stunting is a national problem with the percentage of incidence above the tolerance limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO) which is < 20% (WHO, 2010). The results of Basic Health Research (2013) stated that stunting in children under fve in Indonesia in 2010 amounted to 41.6% increased to 47.9% in 2013 and for Mamuju Regency in West Sulawesi the percentage of stunting was 47.26%. There are several factors that infuence the incidence of stunting, including maternal education and parental income. The level of maternal education and low parental income will result in family limitations in providing nutritional needs both in quality and quantity. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the level of maternal education and parental income with the incidence of stunting. This study was a cross sectional study conducted at SDN Salulayang Mamuju District with a sample of all 90 students. Variables were measuring through direct interviews and questionnaires methods. The results showed that the variables of maternal education levels were signifcantly associated with the incidence of stunting (p = 0.005), as well as parental income signifcantly associated with the incidence of stunting (p = 0.006). It is necessary to increase knowledge about nutrition, especially about stunting with the aim of prevention and the need for economic improvement through community empowerment so that there is no stunting problem caused by poverty.