Peer-reviewed article
The Association Between AverageCaloric Intake and Stunting Severity Among Children Aged 6–24 Months
Fatmah Fatmah, Lina Nurbaiti, Wiwin Lastyana ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This study looked at whether how much energy (calories) young children eat is linked to how severe their stunting is. It covered 43 stunted children aged 6–24 months in the area served by Bagu Public Health Center, Central Lombok, in 2025. Most children (93.0%) ate less energy than recommended, and the average intake was 592.8 kcal per day. The statistical test found no significant link between energy intake and whether a child was stunted or severely stunted. The authors still say that low energy intake is an important nutritional concern for this age group.
Key points
- 40 of 43 children (93.0%) had deficient energy intake and 3 (7.0%) had adequate intake.
- 27 children (62.8%) were stunted and 16 (37.2%) were severely stunted.
- Mean energy intake was 592.8 kcal/day.
- Fisher's Exact Test showed no significant association between energy intake and stunting severity (p = 0.385).
- Inadequate energy intake remains an important nutritional concern among children aged 6–24 months.
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional with only 43 children, all already stunted, from one health center area, so it cannot show cause and effect or say whether intake relates to stunting versus no stunting. Almost all children had deficient intake, leaving very few with adequate intake to compare against.
Abstract
Stunting is a chronic nutritional problem characterized by impaired linear growth and influenced by multiple factors, including inadequate energy intake. This study aimed to determine the association between average energy intake and stunting severity among children aged 6–24 months in the working area of Bagu Public Health Center, Central Lombok Regency, in 2025. An analytic observational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted among 43 mothers of stunted children selected using total sampling. Stunting status was obtained from Maternal and Child Health (KIA) handbooks, while energy intake was assessed using a 24-hour food recall and categorized according to intake adequacy. Fisher’s Exact Test was used for bivariate analysis because the data did not meet the assumptions of the Chi-square test. Of the 43 children, 40 (93.0%) had deficient energy intake and 3 (7.0%) had adequate intake. A total of 27 children (62.8%) were classified as stunted and 16 (37.2%) as severely stunted. The mean energy intake was 592.8 kcal/day. Fisher’s Exact Test showed no significant association between energy intake and stunting severity (p = 0.385). Although no significant association was observed, inadequate energy intake remains an important nutritional concern among children aged 6–24 months.