By: Mega Friska Andini.
According to the health standard, the Indonesians have not reached it yet, so it needs to fight for and strive for the standard to be well-achieved. There are efforts to improve health through raising awareness, especially among young people through education and training. One of the efforts was held by Stube HEMAT in Lampung with a discussion to equip young people with health awareness, especially on the stunting topic at Pondok Diakonia Batanghari (20/3/2022).
The discussion began with an introduction of Stube HEMAT by Rev. Theofilus Agus Rohadi, S.Th., The Multiplicator of Stube-HEMAT in Lampung. Sulistiyani, a field health practitioner in the Marga Tiga district, explained that stunted children have short stature and growth disorders due to nutritional problems. Stunting is a chronic malnutrition condition characterized by short stature in toddlers. Children with stunting are seen at the age of 2 years with a height and body length of minus 2 cm of the Multicentre Growth Reference Study standard or the median standard deviation of the WHO child growth standard. Stunting is determined at the beginning of life, influenced by the first 1.000 days until the age of two years. Growth disorders will be detrimental to children. In Indonesia, the condition of children with stunting is the second worst in ASEAN.
She
conveyed that malnutrition in pregnant women and infants is the main factor
that causes children under five to experience stunting which has a permanent
impact. Stunting is influenced by environmental and genetic factors.
Environmental factors include lack of education about nutritional intake during
pregnancy, lack of nutrition when the baby is born until 2 years, poor maternal health
conditions, poor environmental sanitation and hygiene, and infectious diseases.
Although stunting cannot be treated, environmental factors can be intervened,
so that short stature can be avoided, namely by checking pregnancy regularly,
avoiding cigarette smoke and nutritional adequacy during pregnancy, routinely
monitoring the health and condition of the fetus until postpartum,
participating in the program immunization, especially basic immunization regularly and providing
exclusive breastfeeding until the child is 6 months old, and providing adequate
complementary foods (MPASI). It is understood that genetic and hormonal factors
also have a role in human stature, but stunting is due to malnutrition.
In 2019, more than 27,7% of Indonesian children under five were stunted. This condition can be caused by various aspects, from the economy, health, and education. While in 2021 it improved because it decreased to 24,4%. Regarding the program of Stube HEMAT in Lampung, Listiyani appreciated it, as Health awareness must be introduced from early age considering that the young people will have families and children.
Health programs discussing the stunting problems among young people, especially in Pondok Diakonia Batanghari will have a big impact to the growth of future generations because young people and young families, and even parents have contributed to prevent stunting. It is necessary to design regular health programs so that stunting can be prevented, children are healthy and families are happy. ***
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