Combating Stunting in Ngawi

Stunting does not always stem from food shortages but also from eating habits and the health conditions of adolescent girls as future mothers.

Ngawi (ANTARA) - That morning, Novi did not simply come to the nutrition post. The Ngawi resident arrived as a pregnant woman at risk of Chronic Energy Deficiency (KEK), a condition that could lead to giving birth to a low birth weight baby, which is one of the early risk factors for stunting.

KEK in pregnant women is generally indicated by an upper arm circumference of less than 23.5 centimetres. This condition serves as a risk indicator because it relates to the adequacy of nutritional intake during pregnancy, which affects foetal growth and development.

That morning, a bowl of steaming “sun soup” was placed in front of Novi. Its contents were simple yet nutrient-dense, including carrots, potatoes, chicken meat, chicken liver, duck eggs, patin fish, and of course, moringa leaves easily found around the home.

This ready-to-eat soup was the product of volunteers at the Pos Gizi Dapur Sehat Atasi Stunting. The soup was not the only healthy menu for pregnant women prepared there; there were six other menus.

However, the soup was Novi’s favourite healthy dish at the Pos Gizi.

At the Pos Gizi, Novi shared that she was not only served ready-made food but also taught how to cook healthy menus to improve her nutritional intake from the pregnancy period onwards.

“As a pregnant woman, I am helped; the demonstrated cooking can be practised by me,” said Novi.

That was a glimpse of Novi’s story, who is now struggling to overcome the risk of stunting in the baby she will give birth to.

Addressing from the Source

The issue of stunting is not just for those who are pregnant but starts from adolescence.

Stunting does not always originate from food limitations but also from eating habits and the health conditions of adolescent girls as prospective mothers.

Unfortunately, adolescent girls are not aware of the stunting and KEK risks.

For this reason, according to PASTI WVI Programme Manager Hotmianida Panjaitan, special education approaches are needed for adolescent girls. This is particularly to raise awareness of the importance of nutritional intake for adolescent girls to avoid the risk of giving birth to stunted babies in the future.

PASTI WVI is an initiative to accelerate stunting reduction through community empowerment.

Hotmianida Panjaitan said one easy approach for adolescent girls starts with introducing anaemia (iron deficiency) and its impact on maternal and foetal health.

Anaemia can result in inadequate energy and nutrient intake for pregnant women, which affects foetal growth and development. If this disruption continues, it will trigger stunting in children later on.

Meanwhile, awareness of anaemia among adolescents in Ngawi is still very low, and nutritional intake or iron supplement tablets are not very popular. Research by Generasi Berencana (GenRe) in Ngawi Regency shows that iron supplement consumption among adolescents remains low.

Efforts to educate on the importance of addressing anaemia in adolescents require more creative approaches so that health messages can be well received.

Hotmianida said creative approaches like competitions are one way to get adolescents to participate and get involved.

“Gathering adolescents is a bit difficult. If it’s not interesting, they don’t want to come. That’s why we address it by holding activities like competitions,” she said.

Through this approach, adolescents are not just recipients of information but are encouraged to pass on the message to their peers, including involving adolescent boys in stunting prevention efforts.

From the Kitchen to the Dining Table