Father Involvement for Feeding Practice and the Prevalence of Stunted Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Indonesia

Background: Stunting remains one of the most significant nutritional challenges, alongside wasting, underweight, and obesity, that threaten children's growth and development. In Indonesia, fathers’ involvement in parenting is still relatively low. Parenting patterns in which mothers are solely responsible, without involving fathers, can negatively affect a child's nutritional status due to insufficient monitoring. This study aims to analyze the association between father involvement in feeding and the prevalence of stunting in children aged ۲۴-۵۹ months in families in Jember Regency.Materials and Methods: This research employed a descriptive analytic design with a cross-sectional approach. Data were collected using the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) questionnaire to assess the level of fathers’ involvement in feeding, while stunting status was measured using a digital scale and a microtoise. The sample consisted of ۲۱۲ father-child pairs, with the unit of analysis being the father-child pair. A stratified random sampling technique was applied across villages and posyandu. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test to determine the unadjusted bivariate associations between variables.Results: The research findings indicate that ۵۲% of fathers have low involvement in feeding their children. Among the children, ۷۰.۸% were classified as stunted (-۳ ≤ HAZ < -۲), categorized as severely stunted (HAZ < -۳). The unadjusted bivariate chi-square test revealed a significant association (χ^۲ = ۵.۵۹۹; p-value = ۰.۰۱۸).Conclusion: This study provides evidence of a protective association between fathers’ involvement in child feeding practices and stunting status, underscoring the need for education and empowerment programs targeting fathers as a strategy to reduce stunting.

کلیدواژه ها:

Children ، Family ، Father Involvement ، Feeding practices ، Stunted