Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices and Stunting in Sawahlunto City, West Sumatera, Indonesia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Stunting remains a significant public health concern in Indonesia, with long-term implications for children's growth and development. While exclusive breastfeeding is recognized as a key factor in promoting optimal infant health, its effectiveness in preventing stunting remains inconclusive. Objective: This study examines the association between exclusive breastfeeding practices, maternal height, and low birth weight with stunting among children in Sawahlunto City, West Sumatra, Indonesia, using a cross-sectional approach. Methods: This was quantitative cross-sectional. Anthropometric measures, structured questionnaires, and secondary data sources were used to gather the data. There were 199 respondents who were selected using the stratified random sampling method. The chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. The study findings revealed that 33.2% of children were stunted. Results: The study found that stunting was caused by maternal height (p= 0.002) and low birth weight (p= 0.031). In contrast, there was no significant effect between exclusive breastfeeding and stunting (p = 0.088). Conclusion: Exclusive breastfeeding could not prevent stunting. Meanwhile, the nutritional status of children after six months also really depends on breast milk complementary food. The mother's height is a genetic factor that influences the height of children, and nutrition factors (macro and micronutrient intake, exclusive breastfeeding, and breast milk complementary foods) are the main points.