RISK FACTOR OF STUNTING AMONG TODDLER: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Background: Linear growth serves as a crucial measure of children's well-being and reflects disparities in human development. Many children globally fail to achieve their growth potential due to health issues, inadequate nourishment, and poor care, leading to physical and cognitive impairments. The prevalence of stunting often goes unnoticed in communities where short stature is common, partly due to limited evaluations of linear growth in healthcare. However, initiatives like Scaling Up Nutrition and global nutrition targets have brought attention to stunting's significance. Stunting has short and long-term health implications, including cognitive impairment and reduced earnings. Addressing it requires improvements in nutrition, education, healthcare, poverty reduction, and women's status. Indonesia's high stunting rates result from multifaceted factors like inadequate parenting practices, limited healthcare access, and food scarcity. Based on this background, the authors conducted a comprehensive review to identify stunting risk factors in toddlers, aiming to develop effective interventions to reduce its occurrence. Purpose: To better understand risk factors related to stunting in toddlers and later able to formulate a comprehensive intervention strategy aimed at diminishing the occurrence of stunting among toddlers. Method: By adhering to the guidelines outlined in the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA), the researcher of this study ensured its alignment with the necessary standards. This was carried out to guarantee the accuracy of the conclusions drawn from the investigation. Result: We compiled 12 articles from Google Schoolar and 2 articles from Elsevier. Ultimately, we included 6 articles that met the criteria. Conclusion: These studies collectively emphasize the multifaceted nature of childhood stunting, with factors spanning parental education, nutrition, breastfeeding practices, sanitation, urban-rural disparities, and family structures playing significant roles. The findings highlight the need for comprehensive strategies that encompass education, nutrition, and healthcare to effectively combat the prevalence of stunting and ensure the healthy growth and development of children, especially toddlers.