The Correlation between Regulation Understanding by Inter-Professional first 1000 days of Life Health Workers and the Acceleration of Toddler Stunting Prevention

Abstract

Promoting exclusive breastfeeding, infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practice are strategies to solve and prevent stunting. However, in fact, this effort does not yet achieve the expected target. Regulations on exclusive breastfeeding and IYCF have been provided and widely socialized so far. This study aims to analyze the correlation between regulation understanding (focusing on exclusive breastfeeding and IYCF) by inter-professional health workers collaboration and the implementation of stunting prevention in urban areas. Observation based study with mixed method using cross sectional design was performed in Surabaya city (33 primary health care centers) and Sidoarjo district (13 primary health care centers), during September-December 2017. The subjects of 199 health workers were selected purposively. The data were collected through interview using structured questionnaire combined with Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Then, the data were evaluated using descriptive and contingency coefficient analysis. The understanding of regulation by inter-professional health workers on the exclusive breastfeeding and IYCF varied with average of 76.4% and 63.6%, respectively. The implementation of this regulations by the inter-professional health cares did not yet in line with the condition of stunting program prevention. However, the performance synergism of multisector institutions and the cross profession to acheive the exclusive breastfeeding target was stronger than that of IYCF. According to contingency coefficient analysis (p<0.05), good understanding, well-organized documents availability, and the regulation conformity by health workers significantly correlated with the implementation of exclusive breastfeeding regulation. Good understanding of health workers on exclusive breastfeeding and IYCF regulations is a key factor in the practical collaboration of inter-professional health workers to educate people to achieve the target and to implement the cross sectional programs to prevent toddler stunting.