According to the Indonesia Nutritional Status Survey, the prevalence of child stunting in Indonesia declined from 24.4% in 2021 to 21.6% in 2022. Such a figure is still considered high, though; child stunting remains a major concern for the government.
Based on observations by UGM students taking the Community Service Program (KKN-PPM) in Sugian Village, Sambelia, East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, 31 children in Sugian Village suffer stunted growth, consisting of 3 infants aged 6-12 months and 28 toddlers aged over one year.
“Stunting cases are still found in Sugian due to the lack of community awareness about health and nutritional intake for expectant mothers and children throughout the first 1,000 days of life (from conception to 2 years old),” said Wimala Hardyawati Putri Apsari, a UGM Pharmacy student in the Sambelia unit, on Friday (August 25).
Another cause of stunting in Sugian Village, according to Apsari, is the lack of sanitation facilities, inadequate nutritional education and parenting practices, and the lack of marriage and economic planning that play a role in preventing and addressing stunting.
Given this situation, Apsari mentioned that her team provided motivation and knowledge to mothers in combating and preventing stunting. Through an educational activity called “Rising from Stunting: Motivation and Handling Strategies,” the students conducted surveys of children’s conditions with stunting.
The students shared a daily meal plan program and supplementary foods containing local food products prepared by the village.
“The Sugian Village administration provided tuna fish floss produced by Keluarga Bahari, Sugian cashews produced by Bangkit Bersama, and high-nutrition dairy products and supplements,” she explained.
Hanifah Widyastuti, a team member from the UGM Faculty of Agricultural Technology, stated that they distributed a “Daily Food Plan for Children Aged 6-23 Months” book and provided examples of primary and supplementary menus for each age group, using locally available foods around Sambelia.
“We also gave tips for dealing with children who have difficulty eating and explanations about complementary foods in printed and digital books accessible to the whole community,” she added.
Throughout the “Sambelia Fights Stunting” program, Widyastuti noted that the community showed enthusiasm to participate and actively asked questions, which she hopes is a step towards helping the government reduce stunting rates and increase awareness.
Head of the Nutrition Section at the East Lombok Health Office and a UGM alumna, Wahyuni Kunayati, said that local food resources around Sambelia can help mothers provide complementary foods that are easy to process yet nutritionally dense.
“Additionally, early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding are among the strategies that need to be implemented to combat stunting,” she explained.
Author: Gusti Grehenson