Determinants of Child Stunting in Madhya Pradesh: The Role of Household Infrastructure and Dietary Practices in Achieving Zero Hunger

Child stunting, which is defined as low height for age, is one of the critical public health issues in Madhya Pradesh, India, with alarmingly high prevalence rates. This study examines the impact of household infrastructure and dietary practices on stunting, using district-level data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). Poor access to sanitation, clean drinking water, and proper dietary diversity emerged as significant determinants of stunting, compounded by socioeconomic disparities and maternal education levels. Logistic regression analysis shows predictors such as the wealth index, maternal BMI, and extended duration's of breastfeeding all have significant effects in protection against stunting. On the contrary, high fruit intake and grain consumption indicated high odds ratios for stunting. Significant predictors of child stunting in Madhya Pradesh are identified by logistic regression analysis. Children from particular castes had lower odds of stunting (adjusted odds ratio of 0.95, p = 0.03), indicating a weak but statistically significant caste effect. Mothers' education significantly lowered the chances of stunting, with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.87 and a p-value of less than 0.001. Higher Maternal BMI has been demonstrated to correlate with reduced odds of stunting, with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.97 (p < 0.001). Male children are considerably more prone to stunting compared to females, with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.85 and a p-value of less than 0.001. Sanitation and access to clean drinking water significantly decrease stunting, with adjusted odds ratios of 1.00 (p < 0.001) for sanitation and 0.99 (p = 0.01) for water. Housing quality, demonstrates a modest yet significant impact on reducing stunting (adjusted odds ratio of 0.99, p = 0.01). These findings indicate that certain pivotal factors, including maternal education, health, wealth, sanitation, and clean water consumption, are essential to child growth and stunting. Regression analysis revealed both significant and subtle findings regarding the relationship between dietary practices and child stunting. An extended breastfeeding period demonstrates a protective effect against stunting, evidenced by an adjusted odds ratio of 0.99 (95% CI: 0.99-0.65, p < 0.001). Collectively, these findings call for targeted policy intervention to improve infrastructure facilities in households; promote dietary diversification (vegetables, legumes, and grain, home gardening, and animal-source food); and enhance education to achieve the goal of sustainable development related to zero hunger and clean water and sanitation.