IPB University Lecturer Explains the Main Causes of Stunting

The National Forum for Social Society (Fornas Sosmas) of the Student Executive Board (BEM) throughout Indonesia held a Webinar entitled “Realising a Healthy Society, Healthy Indonesia by Preventing Stunting” on Saturday, 17/2 online.

This activity is one of the work programmes of the Fornas Sosmas Region 4 Health Issues Coordinator to discuss and discuss the problem of stunting in Indonesia. The webinar was attended by Yuni Zahraini, Staff of the Directorate of Community Nutrition and entered the Stunting Acceleration Team representing the Indonesian Minister of Health.

Region IV Coordinator of Fornas Sosmas BEM throughout Indonesia, Latif Hidayatul Ikhsan said, “The role of all parties in this stunting problem must be clarified so that the collaboration of students, government and society in various fields can work together,” said Latif.

The webinar presented a guest speaker, Dr Tin Herawati, Chairperson of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at IPB University. She said that children are influenced by their closest environment, which is their family, so the family plays a very important role in the growth and development of children.

“Lack of quality parenting, low parental education and economic factors are the main causes of stunting. Poor environmental sanitation also plays a role in increasing the risk of stunting in children, so public awareness in handling sanitation, diet and child care needs to be improved to reduce the prevalence of stunting,” explained Dr Tin.

Meanwhile, the second speaker, Prof Moesijanti, Lecturer in Nutrition at Jakarta Health Polytechnic II explained that stunting has a long-term impact on children’s physical, mental and mindset development and can lead to limited physical abilities, impaired brain development, and disease risk.

“Factors causing stunting include inadequate feeding and an unclean environment. Stunting also has an impact on low productivity and the family economy,” she said.

She continued, stunting prevention involves interventions such as supplementary feeding for pregnant women, good health care and a clean environment. “Education and accessibility of good health services are important to prevent and overcome stunting. Stunting prevention efforts must be carried out in a sustainable manner and involve various parties,” explained Prof Moesijanti. (*/Lp) (IAAS/RUM)