Food Security and Stunting Incidences in the Coastal Areas of Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity is a condition determined by limited or uncertain access to nutritious food for active, healthy, disproportionate people or community of people who are not prepared to anticipate. Stunting in coastal areas such as Indonesia is still severe at 30.8%, higher than the global data at 22.2%. Stunting in sub-Saharan Africa is 34.5%, Ethiopia is 52.4%, and Congo is 40%. The World Health Organization has determined that nutritional problems in a country should be <20% since it leads to impaired growth, development, and degenerative diseases in later adulthood. AIM: This study aimed to identify the risk factors of the determinant of food security and stunting in the Indonesian Coastal regions. METHODS: This review was conducted by collecting literature from various publications or articles in English and Indonesian, using the online database of PubMed, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, and manual searching using Google Scholar in reputable journals since the 2000s regarding factors related to or influencing factors can determine food security and the occurrence of stunting in the Indonesian Coastal regions. RESULTS: Several studies pointed out that one of the causes of stunting in children is the lack of good nutrition for an extended period and often not realized by the parents until their children reach over 2 years old and look stunted. Based on the results of the literature review, it shows that the risk factors for stunting in coastal areas of Indonesia include birth length at risk of 16.43 times, low maternal education at risk of 3.27 times, children living in villages at risk of 2.45 times, LBW at risk 4.5 times, no ANC at risk of 3.4 times, no immunization at risk of 6.38 times, and not exclusively breastfeed at risk of 4.0 times. CONCLUSION: The results of this synthesis that consistently become risk factors for stunting in children in coastal areas are family socio-economic status (family income), mother’s education, low birth weight, premature birth, non-exclusive breastfeeding, length of birth, and macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies. Those are given the complex risk factors for stunting.