Determinants of maternal health-seeking behavior for stunted children in Indonesian community health centers: A cross-sectional study

Introduction Stunting is a common health problem among children aged <5 years, with prevalence in Indonesia exceeding the WHO global limit. Despite progress, challenges remain, including mothers' decision to seek health facilities. This study aims to identify factors that influence mothers of stunted children to seek health services at a community health center. Methods This study used a cross-sectional design. Data were collected from 1 February to 31 October 2022 through questionnaires filled in by participants. The sample size was 224 participants who were recruited using consecutive sampling with the inclusion criteria of mothers who had short or very short children aged 24–59 months. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Results Maternal education level (AOR=8.6; 95% CI: 2.36–31.84; p=0.002), sources of health information from healthcare providers (AOR=4.1; 95% CI: 1.24–17.17; p=0.025), number of children aged <5 years (AOR=0.2; 95% CI: 0.07–0.85; p=0.017), and family support (AOR=0.06; 95% CI: 0.02–0.33; p<0.001 were significantly associated with maternal healthcare-seeking behavior and remained in the adjusted model with p<0.05. Conclusions Within our community health center setting, maternal health seeking behavior was influenced by maternal education level, healthcare providers' health information, the number of children aged <5 years, and family support. Socioeconomic and sociocultural factors may be considered for future research.