Exploring the relationship between maternal education, parenting practice, and stunting among children under five: Findings from a cross-sectional study in Indonesia

Abstract

Background: Mother’s education is a key demographic in determining a healthy child. Education is important and may indirectly affect how well children eat by changing parents' attitudes and practices. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the association between maternal education and parenting practice with stunting among children under five.  Methods: This study used a cross-sectional study of mothers with children under five in Indonesia, specifically conducted in six rural areas in West Java province. This study employs bivariate analysis with Spearman and binary logistic regression.  Results: Among 733 children under five, we found that 24.01% of these children were stunted. The mother's educational background, stunting knowledge, and parenting practice showed no significant change (p > 0.5). Moreover, the binary logistic linear analysis showed that education levels, knowledge about stunting, and mothers' behaviour toward parenting practices are not significantly related to stunting (p > .05).  Conclusion: Maternal education and parenting practice is not a determinant of stunting in children under five in West Java, Indonesia, and this contradicts earlier studies. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore the complex interplay of social, cultural, and economic factors that contribute to stunting in this population. Such research could inform the development of targeted interventions to improve child health outcomes in this and similar settings.