The Role of Family and Community in Preventing Stunting in Toddlers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58812/wsis.v3i12.2532Keywords:
Stunting Prevention, Family Role, Community Participation, Toddler Nutrition, Systematic Literature ReviewAbstract
Stunting remains a critical public health problem that affects children’s physical growth, cognitive development, and long-term human capital, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Increasing evidence suggests that stunting is not solely a nutritional issue but a multidimensional condition influenced by family practices and community environments. This study aims to systematically review the role of family and community in preventing stunting among toddlers. A systematic literature review was conducted using ten peer-reviewed articles indexed in the Scopus database. The review followed a structured search, selection, and thematic synthesis process to identify key family- and community-level determinants and interventions associated with stunting prevention. The findings indicate that family-related factors—such as parental education, caregiving practices, household food security, and health-seeking behavior—play a central role in reducing stunting risk. At the community level, supportive health services, nutrition education programs, sanitation infrastructure, and social support networks significantly strengthen family capacity and promote sustainable behavior change. Importantly, the review highlights that integrated family–community approaches are more effective than isolated interventions, as they align household practices with enabling community environments. This study contributes to the literature by reinforcing the importance of multi-level, socially grounded strategies for stunting prevention and provides evidence-based insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to design holistic and sustainable child nutrition interventions.
References
[1] M. De Onis and F. Branca, “Childhood stunting: a global perspective,” Matern. Child Nutr., vol. 12, pp. 12–26, 2016.
[2] A. Georgiadis and M. E. Penny, “Child undernutrition: opportunities beyond the first 1000 days,” Lancet Public Heal., vol. 2, no. 9, p. e399, 2017.
[3] D. J. Raiten and A. A. Bremer, “Exploring the nutritional ecology of stunting: new approaches to an old problem,” Nutrients, vol. 12, no. 2, p. 371, 2020.
[4] C. E. Draper, L. Grobler, L. K. Micklesfield, and S. A. Norris, “Impact of social norms and social support on diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour of adolescents: a scoping review,” Child. Care. Health Dev., vol. 41, no. 5, pp. 654–667, 2015.
[5] M. E. Bentley, H. M. Wasser, and H. M. Creed-Kanashiro, “Responsive feeding and child undernutrition in low-and middle-income countries,” J. Nutr., vol. 141, no. 3, pp. 502–507, 2011.
[6] Y. Yusriadi, S. Sugiharti, Y. M. Ginting, G. Sandra, and A. Zarina, “Preventing stunting in rural Indonesia: A community-based perspective,” African J. Food, Agric. Nutr. Dev., vol. 24, no. 9, pp. 24470–24491, 2024.
[7] A. Schmall, “Applying a Global Nutrition Conceptual Framework to Analyze Potential Determinants of Influence on Child Nutrition Among Children Participating in Nutrition Assistance Programs: Insights From Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, and the United States.” Tufts University, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition …, 2025.
[8] S. Basnet, “Role of Resources for Care in Improving Care Behaviors, Children’s Nutritional Status and Early Childhood Development in Low-and Middle-Income Countries,” 2019.
[9] K. E. Killion et al., “Responsive feeding practices to promote healthy diets: A mixed method study among low-income caregivers with toddlers,” Nutrients, vol. 16, no. 6, p. 863, 2024.
[10] A. Ali, “Current status of malnutrition and stunting in Pakistani children: what needs to be done?,” J. Am. Coll. Nutr., vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 180–192, 2021.
[11] H. Harris-Fry et al., “Socio-economic determinants of household food security and women’s dietary diversity in rural Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study,” J. Heal. Popul. Nutr., vol. 33, no. 1, p. 2, 2015.
[12] K. L. Kumpfer, C. Magalhães, and S. A. Kanse, “Impact of family structure, functioning, culture, and family-based interventions on children’s health,” in Health promotion for children and adolescents, Springer, 2016, pp. 57–81.
[13] A. Ashworth, R. Shrimpton, and K. Jamil, “Growth monitoring and promotion: review of evidence of impact,” Matern. Child Nutr., vol. 4, pp. 86–117, 2008.
[14] N. A. Fajar et al., “Family roles and support in preventing stunting: A systematic review,” 2024.
[15] S. K. Farnsworth et al., “Community engagement to enhance child survival and early development in low-and middle-income countries: an evidence review,” J. Health Commun., vol. 19, no. sup1, pp. 67–88, 2014.
[16] D. I. Yani, L. Rahayuwati, C. W. M. Sari, M. Komariah, and S. R. Fauziah, “Family household characteristics and stunting: an update scoping review,” Nutrients, vol. 15, no. 1, p. 233, 2023.
[17] I. A. A. Wati and S. Sulistyaningsih, “The role of parents to prevent stunting in toddlers: scoping review,” J. Aisyah J. Ilmu Kesehat., vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 987–996, 2023.
[18] S. Wahyuni and D. Setiyawati, “DINAMIKA PERAN KELUARGA DALAM PENCEGAHAN STUNTING: ANALISIS KUALITATIF PADA KELUARGA BERPENDAPATAN RENDAH DI KAWASAN URBAN,” J. Ilm. PANNMED (Pharmacist, Anal. Nurse, Nutr. Midwivery, Environ. Dent., vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 323–332, 2023.
[19] R. Azis, I. Rahayu, A. B. Alif, and B. Samsidarwati, “PARENTING BEHAVIOUR AND STUNTING PREVENTION IN SOUTH SULAWESI PROVINCE, INDONESIA.,” J. Biometrika dan Kependud., vol. 14, no. 1, 2025.
[20] A. Suhaimi, M. Misransyah, H. Heldawati, M. Solekhan, and D. Susanti, “Household food security and stunting toddlers in lowland ecosystems,” Univers. J. Agric. Res., vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 602–614, 2023.
[21] T. Doherty, N. Oliphant, and D. Sanders, “Community Health Workers delivering child health interventions: evidence-base and key considerations,” World Nutr., vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 26–40, 2017.
[22] T. Fathurrahman, S. R. Misbah, and S. S. Kasim, “Capacity Building of Posyandu Cadres in Monitoring Toddler Growth in the Working Area of Puuwatu Health Center, Kendari City,” Indones. J. Community Serv., vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 105–110, 2023.
[23] T. Herawati et al., “Edukasi dan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat untuk upaya penurunan angka stunting dengan program Gerakan Masyarakat Cegah Stunting (GEMASTING) di Dusun Ciakar, Desa Sukaratu, Kecamatan Sukaratu, Kabupaten Taskmalaya,” J. Kreat. Pengabdi. Kpd. Masy., vol. 8, no. 9, pp. 4621–4636, 2025.
[24] I. Lusiana and L. A. Apriani, “Penguatan Pengetahuan Nutrisi Lokal untuk Pemberian MPASI dalam Pencegahan Faltering Growth pada Balita,” SAMBARA J. Pengabdi. Kpd. Masy., vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 39–45, 2025.
[25] A. Irawan and N. Hadi, “Efektivitas Intervensi Keperawatan Komunitas Dalam Menurunkan Prevalensi Stunting Pada Balita Di Desa Sungai Tabuk Keramat Kabupaten Banjar,” Ners Muda, vol. 6, no. 2, 2025.
[26] F. Umar, “Family Centered Approaches to Stunting Prevention,” J. Heal. Lit. Qual. Res., vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 84–98, 2021.
[27] Y. D. Puspitasari, R. Indarwati, S. D. Wahyuni, and A. S. Suraya, “Community And Family-Based Intervention Strategies To Prevent Stunting: A Systematic Review,” Care J. Ilm. Ilmu Kesehat., vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 286–298, 2025.
[28] E. P. Padeng et al., “Pencegahan Stunting Melalui Pendekatan Keluarga di Desa Lentang Dusun Watu Weri,” J. Kreat. Pengabdi. Kpd. Masy., vol. 6, no. 10, pp. 3983–3988, 2023.
[29] S. Sukardi, D. Nashihah, and I. N. H. Maulana, “Empowering communities for sustainable stunting prevention: A comprehensive approach to enhance child nutrition and family health education,” Inov. Kurikulum, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 1125–1136, 2024.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Eduardo Crisogono Gaio, Joaquim Pinto, Carlos Boavida Tilman, Virgilio Soares, Ermelinda da Costa Monteiro, Antonio Ximenes
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Facebook 
Instagram 
Twitter 
Youtube 
westscience.journals@gmail.com