Poor Dietary Diversity Is Associated with Stunting among Children 6-23 Months in Area of Mergangsan Public Health Center, Yogyakarta.

Abstract

The period of pregnancy and the first two years of children are called the golden period so that the adequacy intake of macro and micronutrients must be fulfilled. Stunting is a chronic undernutrition condition as a result of inadequate quality and quantity of complementary foods with or without infectious diseases. Quality and quantity of complementary foods can affect linear growth. To analyzed the association between dietary diversity and stunting among children aged 6-23 mo in the area of Mergangsan public health center, Yogyakarta. Method: Study was an analytic observational study with a cross-sectional design. The population was children aged 6-23 mo from 60 integrated health service centers in the area of Mergangsan public health center with a total population of 343 children. The sample size was 135 children. Samples were selected using simple random sampling. Data were analyzed using univariate (descriptive), bivariate (chi-square test), and multivariate analysis (multiple logistic regression). The result of bivariate analysis showed that there was a significant association between dietary diversity of complementary foods (p=0.012; RP=2.87; CI: 1.23-6.68) and father's height (p=0.03; RP=2.58; CI: 1.06-6.30) with stunting. The result of the multivariate analysis showed that there was a significant association between dietary diversity of complementary foods and stunting while there was no association between the father's height and stunting. Poor dietary diversity of complementary foods was a risk factor of stunting among children aged 6-23 mo.