Africa Knowledge Hub for Children

Peer-reviewed articleOpenAlex30 Sept 2026

Determinants of Stunting among under-fives aged 24–59 months in the villages of Labuan Ratu Kampung, Banjar Ketapang, and Gunung Labuhan

ABSTRAK Latar Belakang: Stunting masih menjadi masalah kesehatan masyarakat yang berdampak terhadap pertumbuhan fisik, perkembangan kognitif, serta kualitas sumber daya manusia di masa mendatang. Kejadian stunting dipengaruhi oleh berbagai faktor. Prevalensi stunting di Indonesia 21,5% dan Kabupaten Lampung Utara memiliki prevalensi yang lebih tinggi sebesar 23,5% pada tahun 2023. Tujuan: Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis hubungan riwayat pemberian asi ekslusif, jumlah anggota keluarga dan pendapatan keluarga dengan kejadian stunting pada balita di Desa Labuhan Ratu Kampung, Desa Banjar Ketapang, dan Desa Gunung Labuhan, Kabupaten Lampung Utara. Metode: Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif dengan desain observasional analitik menggunakan pendekatan cross-sectional. Penelitian dilaksanakan pada November 2024 sampai dengan Januari 2025 terhadap 65 balita yang dipilih menggunakan teknik cluster random sampling. Data dikumpulkan melalui kuesioner dan pengukuran antropometri, kemudian dianalisis menggunakan uji Gamma dengan tingkat kemaknaan 95% (α=0,05). Hasil: Sebanyak 35 balita (53,8%) mengalami stunting. Hasil analisis menunjukkan terdapat hubungan antara riwayat pemberian ASI eksklusif (p=0,01; Gamma=0,53), jumlah anggota keluarga (p=0,04; Gamma=-0,50) dan pendapatan keluarga (p=0,01; Gamma=-1,00) dengan kejadian stunting. Proporsi stunting lebih tinggi pada balita yang tidak memperoleh ASI eksklusif dan berasal dari keluarga dengan jumlah anggota lebih dari empat orang. Kesimpulan: Riwayat pemberian ASI eksklusif, jumlah anggota rumah tangga, dan pendapatan rumah tangga merupakan faktor-faktor yang berhubungan dengan status stunting pada balita. Upaya pencegahan stunting perlu dilaksanakan melalui pendekatan terpadu yang mendorong pemberian ASI eksklusif dan pemantauan pertumbuhan secara berkala, sembari mempertimbangkan pendapatan rumah tangga dan jumlah anggota keluarga dalam upaya memenuhi kebutuhan gizi anak. ABSTRACT Background: Stunting remains a public health issue that impacts physical growth, cognitive development, and the future quality of human resources. The occurrence of stunting is influenced by various factors. The national prevalence of stunting in Indonesia is 21.5%, while North Lampung Regency recorded a higher prevalence of 23.5% in 2023. Objectives: This study aims to analyze the relationship between the history of exclusive breastfeeding, family size, and family income and the incidence of stunting among children under five in Labuhan Ratu Kampung, Banjar Ketapang, and Gunung Labuhan villages, North Lampung Regency. Methods: This study is a quantitative, analytic observational study employing a cross-sectional design. It was conducted from November 2024 to January 2025, involving 65 children under five years of age selected via cluster random sampling. Data were collected through questionnaires and anthropometric measurements and subsequently analyzed using the Gamma test at a 95% significance level (α=0.05). Results: A total of 35 under-fives (53.8%) were stunted. The results showed significant associations between exclusive breastfeeding history (p=0.01; Gamma=0.53), household size (p=0.04; Gamma=-0.50), and household income (p=0.01; Gamma=-1.00) and stunting status. The proportion of stunting was higher among under-fives who were not exclusively breastfed and who came from families with more than four members. Conclusions: Exclusive breastfeeding, household size, and income are associated with stunting in under-fives. Prevention should promote exclusive breastfeeding and growth monitoring while considering household resources and family size.

Peer-reviewed articleOpenAlex30 Sept 2026

PENINGKATAN PENGETAHUAN GURU TAMAN KANAK-KANAK TENTANG SKRINING GIZI ANAK MELALUI PELATIHAN ANTROPOMETRI DAN ANTHROCAL

ABSTRAKStunting masih menjadi salah satu permasalahan gizi prioritas di Indonesia yang memerlukan upaya pencegahan dan deteksi dini sejak usia dini. Guru taman kanak-kanak memiliki peran strategis dalam pemantauan pertumbuhan anak karena berinteraksi secara rutin dengan peserta didik, namun belum seluruhnya memiliki pengetahuan yang memadai mengenai pengukuran antropometri dan penentuan status gizi anak. Kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini bertujuan meningkatkan pengetahuan guru taman kanak-kanak mengenai pengukuran antropometri dan skrining cepat status gizi anak sebagai upaya mendukung deteksi dini stunting. Kegiatan dilaksanakan pada bulan April 2026 di TKIT Aqila, Kecamatan Dramaga, Kabupaten Bogor, Jawa Barat dengan melibatkan 20 guru yang berasal dari 10 sekolah taman kanak-kanak. Metode yang digunakan meliputi penyuluhan, praktik pengukuran berat badan dan tinggi badan, demonstrasi penggunaan aplikasi AnthroCal, serta evaluasi menggunakan pre-test dan post-test yang terdiri atas 9 pertanyaan mengenai standar pengukuran antropometri dan penentuan status gizi anak. Hasil evaluasi menunjukkan adanya peningkatan pengetahuan peserta yang ditunjukkan oleh kenaikan nilai rata-rata dari 72,2±11,9 pada pre-test menjadi 90,0±9,2 pada post-test. Sebanyak 80% peserta mengalami peningkatan nilai setelah mengikuti kegiatan dengan rata-rata kenaikan sebesar 22,9±10,3. Kegiatan edukasi yang dikombinasikan dengan praktik langsung efektif meningkatkan pengetahuan guru mengenai pengukuran antropometri dan penentuan status gizi anak. Guru taman kanak-kanak berpotensi menjadi mitra strategis dalam mendukung pemantauan pertumbuhan dan deteksi dini stunting di lingkungan sekolah.Kata kunci: Antropometri; Guru taman kanak-kanak; Status gizi anak; Stunting; Skrining gizi. ABSTRACTStunting remains one of the major nutritional problems in Indonesia, requiring prevention and early detection efforts from an early age. Kindergarten teachers play a strategic role in child growth monitoring because they interact regularly with children; however, their knowledge regarding anthropometric measurements and nutritional status assessment is often limited. This community service program aimed to improve kindergarten teachers’ knowledge of anthropometric measurements and rapid nutritional status screening to support early detection of stunting. The activity was conducted in April 2026 at TKIT Aqila, Dramaga District, Bogor Regency, West Java, involving 20 teachers from 10 kindergarten schools. The methods included health education, practical training on weight and height measurements, demonstration of the AnthroCal application, and evaluation using a pre-test and post-test consisting of 9 questions related to anthropometric measurement standards and child nutritional status assessment. The evaluation results showed an increase in participants’ knowledge, as indicated by an improvement in the mean score from 72.2±11.9 in the pre-test to 90.0±9.2 in the post-test. 80% of participants showed improved knowledge scores, with a mean pre-test to post-test increase of 22.9 ± 10.3 points. The combination of educational sessions and hands-on practice effectively enhanced teachers’ knowledge regarding anthropometric measurements and child nutritional status assessment. Kindergarten teachers have the potential to become strategic partners in supporting child growth monitoring and early detection of stunting in school settings.Keywords: Anthropometry; Child nutritional status; Kindergarten teachers; Nutrition screening; Stunting.

Nunung Cipta Dainy, Rosyanne Kushargina, Nurmalia Lusida et al.

SurvivalDevelopmentPractitionerIDRead at source

Peer-reviewed articleOpenAlex30 Sept 2026

A review-based socio-economic framework for studying school-age malnutrition among government school children in Ranchi district, Jharkhand

School-age malnutrition remains under-recognised in nutrition research and public-health planning, particularly in socio-economically vulnerable districts where children depend on government schools and public services. Ranchi district, Jharkhand, is a relevant setting because it includes rural, peri-urban and urban populations, a sizeable tribal presence and dependence on public schooling and nutrition support. This review-based paper develops a socio-economic and demographic framework for studying malnutrition among government schoolchildren aged 6–12 years in Ranchi district. It draws on primary-data studies from India and other developing regions to identify determinants repeatedly associated with school-age malnutrition. The reviewed evidence indicates that nutritional outcomes are shaped by household poverty, parental education, family size, gender, caste, tribe, ethnicity, dietary diversity, sanitation, morbidity and school environment. The proposed framework links distal determinants such as socio-economic status, household demography and social-group background with proximate pathways such as diet quality, water, sanitation and hygiene, recent illness and school-based support. It also outlines a practical field methodology based on multistage sampling, anthropometry, child and parent schedules, school-level information and descriptive analysis. School-age malnutrition in Ranchi should be studied not only as an anthropometric condition but also as a public-health and social-development issue. A school-centred, household-sensitive and district-level framework can support future field enquiry, nutrition monitoring and targeted public-health responses.

Dhiraj Mani Pathak

SurvivalDevelopmentINRead at source

Peer-reviewed articleOpenAlex30 Sept 2026

The Importance of Gut Microbiota in Infant Health: Understanding the Impact of Feeding

The gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem that plays a significant role in human health, particularly during infancy. This review examines the effects of breastfeeding and formula feeding on the gut microbiota based on research conducted over the past five years.Various studies have shown that infants who are breastfed have a richer and more balanced microbiota profile. The natural prebiotics and probiotics found in breast milk support the growth of beneficial bacteria, particularly Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, helping to protect infants against infections. In contrast, infants who are formula-fed generally exhibit lower microbiota diversity and an increased presence of potentially harmful bacteria. This situation can negatively impact the development of the immune system and increase the risk of allergic diseases.The review also explores the impact of dietary habits from different geographical regions on the microbiota; recommendations for future research are provided, and the importance of promoting breastfeeding is emphasized. Breastfeeding plays a critical role not only in infant nutrition but also in strengthening the mother-infant bond and providing long-term health benefits. Therefore, raising awareness in the community about this issue is essential for helping infants achieve optimal health levels.

Başak Bedir

SurvivalTRRead at source

Peer-reviewed articleOpenAlex30 Sept 2026

Analysis of problems and evaluation of stunting intervention programs in Jrakah village, Boyolali Regency based on the System Thinking

Stunting is a major public health issue in Indonesia. Jrakah Village, Boyolali District, is one of the areas facing challenges of stunting prevention and management. Despite the implementation of maternal and child health programs, stunting cases remain common among toddlers. This community service aimed to map the stunting problem in Jrakah Village using a systems thinking approach and to evaluate the stunting intervention programs that have been implemented. The community service method involved data collection, information gathering, and providing recommendations to relevant stakeholders. The community service program was carried out from April to June 2026 in Jrakah Village, Boyolali Regency. Thematic analysis results suggest that the stunting problem in Jrakah Village, Boyolali, is complex and multidimensional. Factors of individual, family, environment, health service, and support system interact to influence stunting incidence. The program has been well implemented by the relevant agencies and community health centers, such as Supplementary feeding programs for children and pregnant women, child growth and development monitoring, health education, and cross-sectoral collaboration. However, challenges remain, including community behavior, environmental and cultural factors, personnel factors and service processes, and system and stakeholder factors. One finding is the persistence of a culture of early marriage, which can increase the risk factors for stunting in the community. Therefore, efforts to control stunting in Jrakah Village require a comprehensive, integrated, and sustainable approach involving all elements of society and relevant stakeholders.

Sutanta, Muhammad Khotibuddin, Arman Rifat Lette et al.

SurvivalProtectionPractitionerIDRead at source

Peer-reviewed articleOpenAlex30 Sept 2026

Factors associated with nutritional status of children under-five in Pipara rural municipality, Mahottari district

Background: Poor nutritional status among children under five remains a pressing problem in Nepal and is particularly prevalent in Madhesh Province. Poor educational status and culturally influenced community affect the nutritional intake and poses serious problems in under-five children. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting along with the factors associated with it in Pipara rural municipality, Mahottari district. Methods: An analytical cross sectional study design was employed among children aged 6 to 59 months with the sample size of 300. All seven wards of Pipara Rural Municipality were included in the study, and eligible participants were selected using systematic random sampling within each ward. Face to face interview and anthropometric measurement technique was used by using semi-structured questionnaire, dietary diversity questionnaire, weighing machine and stadiometer. Data was collected using kobo toolbox and analyzed using World Health Organization (WHO) Anthro Survey Analyzer, Microsoft Excel and statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) v23. Results: The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting was found 39.7%, 24.7%, and 12.3% respectively. Minimum dietary diversity was found 59%. However, stunting and wasting had significant association with ethnicity and parental education. Conclusions: Under-five children nutritional status was still found as the issue needs to be addressed, higher stunting and underweight rate shows about the collective outcome of combination of several socio-demographic, socio-economic and childhood-feeding related determinants. Therefore, it reflects about the essence of having closer scrutiny on the policies or implementation gaps.

Abishek Jha, Paras Pokhrel, Raj Kumar Sangroula

SurvivalNPRead at source

Peer-reviewed articleOpenAlex30 Sept 2026

Nighttime Respiratory Disturbance and Hypoxemia Associated with Impaired Linear Growth in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Objectives: Although obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) related hypoxia shows stronger associations with multiple complications than respiratory disturbance, its impact on linear growth, a major pediatric concern, remains unclear. This study investigates independent effects of hypoxia and respiratory disturbance on the height of children with OSA. Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study clinically evaluated children with suspicious OSA from January 2013 to June 2025. Individuals with other sleep disorders, severe neuropsychiatric disorders and physical disorders were excluded. Subjects underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG) and height measurement. OSA was defined as apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 1 event/hour, and those with AHI < 1 event/hour served as the non-OSA reference group. AHI and percentage of total sleep time with oxygen saturation < 90% (T90%), were separately used to evaluate the severity of respiratory disturbance (mild, 1≤AHI < 5 events/h; moderate, 5≤AHI < 10 events/h; severe, AHI ≥ 10 events/h) and hypoxia (T90% quartiles). Height z-scores ≤-1 SD defined subclinical growth impairment. Linear and logistic regression models analyzed the independent associations between AHI and T90% and height and subclinical growth impairment. Nutrition, endocrine disorders, chronic illnesses, and parental height were not collected and adjusted in this study. Results: A total of 2443 children were included (348 children without OSA, 2095 children with OSA). In linear regression models, higher T90% was associated with a lower height z-score in the full sample ( B = − 0.005, 95% CI: − 0.010 to − 0.000, P = 0.033) and children with OSA ( B = − 0.005, 95% CI: − 0.010 to − 0.000, P = 0.034), whereas AHI was not (full sample: B = − 0.003, 95% CI: − 0.006 to 0.001, P = 0.111; children with OSA: B = − 0.002, 95% CI: − 0.005 to 0.002, P = 0.330).Logistic models showed higher odds of subclinical growth impairment in children with moderate (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.05– 2.84) or severe OSA (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.19– 3.21) and in those in the highest T90% quartile (OR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.30– 3.60), compared with children without OSA. These associations remained stable in females and children aged 2– 9 years. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that greater respiratory disturbance and nocturnal hypoxemia are associated with a higher risk of short stature in children with OSA. These findings support routine height assessment in the clinical management of pediatric OSA. Keywords: obstructive sleep apnea, children growth, height, polysomnography, apnea-hypopnea index, hypoxia

Yuan Shi, Zhaohua Chen, Xujun Feng et al.

SurvivalCNUSRead at source

Peer-reviewed articleOpenAlex30 Sept 2026

Explainable Machine Learning for Current Stunting Status Classification in Toddlers: A Comparative Evaluation of SMOTEENN and SHAP-Based Interpretation

Stunting remains a major nutritional problem that requires accurate and reliable assessment of children’s current growth status. Machine learning can support stunting classification; however, class imbalance and limited model interpretability remain important challenges. This study aims to evaluate the effect of SMOTEENN across classification algorithms with different learning characteristics and interpret the best-performing model using SHAP. Two secondary datasets were integrated, resulting in 41,176 records, of which 41,173 were retained after data cleaning and numerical conversion. Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest, and XGBoost were evaluated using original and SMOTEENN-balanced training data. Hyperparameter optimization was performed using RandomizedSearchCV with stratified five-fold cross-validation and ROC-AUC as the optimization metric. The optimized configurations were fixed and applied to both experimental scenarios. Model performance was evaluated using Accuracy, Precision, Recall, F1-Score, and ROC-AUC on an independent test set. Random Forest trained on the original data achieved the best overall performance, with an Accuracy of 0.9600, Precision of 0.9584, F1-Score of 0.9505, and ROC-AUC of 0.9927. SMOTEENN consistently improved Recall across all models but generally reduced the overall performance of tree-based models. The largest improvement occurred in Logistic Regression, with Recall increasing from 0.7058 to 0.8657. SHAP analysis identified Height and Age (Month) as the most influential features. These findings show that the effect of SMOTEENN depends on dataset and algorithm characteristics, while SHAP provides transparent interpretation of current stunting-status classification within the analyzed datasets.

Siti Nurhasanah Nugraha, Muji Ernawati, Evita Fitri et al.

SurvivalIDRead at source

Peer-reviewed articleOpenAlex30 Sept 2026

School Availability of Iron Supplements and Peer Support as Key Determinants of Iron Supplementation Adherence among Adolescent Girls in Urban Indonesia

Iron and folic acid supplementation for adolescent girls is essential for preventing anemia in countries such as Indonesia, where the prevalence of anemia ranges from 20% to 40%. The iron supplementation coverage rate in Bekasi City is 13.29%. However, only 8.3% of adolescent girls adhere to iron supplementation. This study aimed to analyze relationships between predisposing, enabling, reinforcing factors and adherence to iron supplementation among adolescent girls in Bekasi, Indonesia. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between June and August 2023 using validated questionnaires to assess predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors. A total of 400 participants were selected using the multistage sampling method consisting of cluster random sampling followed by consecutive sampling. Chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to establish the relationship between the variables. The availability of iron supplementation at schools, peer support, family support, attitude, and teacher support were found to be significantly associated with adjusted odds ratios(AOR) consecutively of 4.738 (2.654–8.460), 4.218 (2.150–8.275),2.463 (1.379–4.398), 2.291 (1.273–4.112), and 2.089 (1.058–4.124). The availability of supplements in schools emerged as the strongest factor associated with adherence to iron supplementation. Anemia prevention strategies for adolescent girls should prioritize interventions targeting the most influential determinants of adherence.

Noerfitri Noerfitri, Rohayati Rohayati

SurvivalIDRead at source

Peer-reviewed articleOpenAlex30 Sept 2026

Review on Nutritional Status, Dietary Practices and Factors Associated with Malnutrition among School-Age Children in Rural and Urban Areas (District Jaunpur, U.P.)

Malnutrition is a major nutritional and public-health concern affecting children and adolescents in India. It includes under nutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and over nutrition, with stunting, wasting, underweight, anemia, overweight and obesity representing important manifestations. The nutritional condition of children is influenced by dietary quality, household food security, socioeconomic status, parental education, sanitation, healthcare access and feeding practices. Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh provides an important regional context for examining these interrelated determinants. The District Nutrition Profile of Jaunpur prepared using national survey data indicates a substantial burden of child under nutrition and anemia, while more recent national evidence demonstrates the continuing importance of addressing both under nutrition and emerging overweight. This review synthesizes available evidence related to malnutrition, dietary practices, micronutrient deficiencies, socioeconomic determinants and possible Home Science-based interventions relevant to Jaunpur district. Evidence from South Asia indicates that nutritional problems among school-age children and adolescents remain heterogeneous and that inadequate dietary diversity and unhealthy food consumption are important concerns. Nutrition education, dietary diversification, school-based interventions, growth monitoring and family-centered counseling can contribute to improving nutritional outcomes. The review identifies a need for more district-specific research among school-age children in Jaunpur, particularly studies combining anthropometric assessment, dietary diversity, nutritional awareness and socioeconomic variables.

Asha Singh

SurvivalINRead at source

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Determinants of Stunting among under-fives aged 24–59 months in the villages of Labuan Ratu Kampung, Banjar Ketapang, and Gunung Labuhan

PENINGKATAN PENGETAHUAN GURU TAMAN KANAK-KANAK TENTANG SKRINING GIZI ANAK MELALUI PELATIHAN ANTROPOMETRI DAN ANTHROCAL

A review-based socio-economic framework for studying school-age malnutrition among government school children in Ranchi district, Jharkhand

The Importance of Gut Microbiota in Infant Health: Understanding the Impact of Feeding

Analysis of problems and evaluation of stunting intervention programs in Jrakah village, Boyolali Regency based on the System Thinking

Factors associated with nutritional status of children under-five in Pipara rural municipality, Mahottari district

Nighttime Respiratory Disturbance and Hypoxemia Associated with Impaired Linear Growth in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Explainable Machine Learning for Current Stunting Status Classification in Toddlers: A Comparative Evaluation of SMOTEENN and SHAP-Based Interpretation

School Availability of Iron Supplements and Peer Support as Key Determinants of Iron Supplementation Adherence among Adolescent Girls in Urban Indonesia

Review on Nutritional Status, Dietary Practices and Factors Associated with Malnutrition among School-Age Children in Rural and Urban Areas (District Jaunpur, U.P.)

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