Relationship of exclusive breastfeeding in the effort to prevent stunting in toddlers at Cidahu Health Center in 2022

Abstract

The provision of exclusive breastfeeding is believed to influence the occurrence of stunting. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and the occurrence of stunting at the Cidahu Health Center in 2022. This research used purposive sampling method, with a population of mothers with stunted toddlers aged 24-59 months from 8 villages, totaling 271 toddlers. The sample size for this study was determined using total sampling, involving 56 respondents. Data analysis utilized univariate analysis with frequency distribution and bivariate analysis using the chi-square test with Odds Ratio (OR) calculation. The research results showed that the majority of respondents at the Cidahu Health Center provided exclusive breastfeeding, accounting for 65%, with 379 (31.5%) being male infants and the remaining 365 (30.3%) female infants. There is a significant relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and the occurrence of stunting in toddlers aged 24-59 months (?-value 0.000 < 0.05). In conclusion, this study found a relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and the occurrence of stunting in toddlers aged 24-59 months. The recommendation for mothers and families is to consider this research as input to encourage exclusive breastfeeding to prevent stunting