Dietary diversity in agricultural and coastal area as potential source for the prevention of child stunting in Sidoarjo district

Stunting is one of public health nutrition problem in Indonesia that will likely reduce the potential human resouces capacity in the near future. However, Indonesia could have prevented the problem since it has the potential food sources from the agricultural and coastal region. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between dietary diversity in the agricultural and coastal area with the prevalence of child stunting. The design of the study was cross sectional involving 55 under five years old children and their mother. Dietary diversity was measured using the Individual Dietary Diversity Score (IDDS) and stunting was determined using height-for age index using the WHO 2005 standard. Statistical analysis used to test the hypothesis was logistic regression. The results showed that the prevalence of child stunting was 28%. Food groups consumed in the agricultural as well as coastal area were dominated by starchy food, meat, fish and egg. There was significant correlation between child stunting and dietary diversity in agricultural and coastal area in Sidoarjo District (p-value=0,019; OR=5,49; 95% CI=1,32-22,93). Compare to children living in a houshold with good dietary diversity, those who live in a poor dietary diversity household have 5 times risk of being stunted. In conclusion, the significant correlation between good dietary diversity in the agricultural and coastal area of Sidoarjo District and child stunting indicated potential diet to reduce stunting. The majority of the diet in the study involved consumption of starchy food, fish and egg.