Socio-Cultural Determinants of Childhood Stunting in an Urban Fringe Society: A Qualitative Study from Semarang, Indonesia
Keywords:
Childhood Stunting, Socio-Cultural Determinants, Parenting Practices, Urban Fringe Communities, Primary Health CareAbstract
Childhood stunting remains a persistent public health challenge in Indonesia, particularly in densely populated urban fringe communities where social and environmental vulnerabilities intersect. This study aimed to examine the socio-cultural determinants of stunting and evaluate existing intervention programs in an urban fringe community of North Semarang, Indonesia. A descriptive qualitative case study was conducted using secondary data from the 2024 Semarang City Health Profile and monthly Primary Health Care records (2024–2025), complemented by in-depth interviews with six purposively selected informants. The findings indicate that stunting prevalence (4.9%) was substantially higher than the city average (1.03%) and showed an increasing trend during the observation period. Major determinants included inadequate feeding practices, inconsistent implementation of healthy living behaviors, a gap between parental knowledge and childcare practices, recurrent childhood infections, limited parental participation, economic constraints, and persistent cultural misconceptions. The study highlights that sustainable stunting reduction requires integrated interventions addressing behavioral, socio-cultural, and health system barriers alongside nutritional support.
Abstrak
Stunting pada balita masih menjadi permasalahan kesehatan masyarakat yang serius di Indonesia, khususnya pada kawasan pinggiran perkotaan dengan berbagai kerentanan sosial dan lingkungan. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis determinan sosial budaya stunting serta mengevaluasi pelaksanaan program penanganannya di salah satu masyarakat pinggiran Kecamatan Semarang Utara. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan studi kasus kualitatif deskriptif melalui analisis data sekunder dari Profil Kesehatan Kota Semarang Tahun 2024 dan data bulanan layanan kesehatan primer periode 2024–2025 yang dipadukan dengan wawancara mendalam terhadap enam informan yang dipilih secara purposive. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan prevalensi stunting mencapai 4,9%, jauh lebih tinggi dibandingkan rata-rata Kota Semarang (1,03%) dan memperlihatkan tren peningkatan selama periode pengamatan. Determinan utama meliputi pola pemberian makan yang kurang tepat, rendahnya penerapan PHBS, kesenjangan antara pengetahuan dan praktik pengasuhan, penyakit infeksi berulang, rendahnya partisipasi orang tua, keterbatasan ekonomi, serta miskonsepsi budaya. Penanganan stunting memerlukan intervensi terpadu yang mengintegrasikan pendekatan perilaku, sosial budaya, dan penguatan sistem pelayanan kesehatan.
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