Estimating pathways affecting stunting in families with children under aged 5 years

Stunting is a condition of impaired growth and development that affects children worldwide. It impacts not only physical growth but also cognitive development and learning capacity. This study aimed to identify factors associated with stunting among families with children aged 5 years.

A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to May 2023. Secondary data from the National Population and Family Planning Board. This study involved 2,014,369 children under 5 years old. The endogenous variables were poor housing condition and stunting, while the exogenous ones lacked access to clean water supply, inadequate toilet, maternal age, short birth intervals, high parity, and lower education. The data were analyzed using path analysis with IBM SPSS AMOS 22.

The path model showed goodness of fit with CMIN = 0.98, NFI = 0.99, CFI = 1.00, and RMSEA = 0.00. Poor housing conditions had a direct and statistically significant effect on stunting (b = 0.45; p < 0.001). High parity (b = -1.46; p = 0.002), no clean water supply (b = 0.49; p = 0.032), lower education (b = 0.74; p < 0.001), and short birth interval (b = 11.90; p < 0.001) exerted an indirect effect on stunting.

Poor housing conditions, maternal age, and lower education had a direct effect on stunting. High parity, lack of access to clean water supply, lower education, and short birth intervals had an indirect effect on stunting.