Family Finances Hinder Efforts to Fight Stunting in Tangerang, University Finds

Families in Tangerang may know what their children need to eat, yet lack the money to provide it consistently. That gap emerged from a stunting audit conducted through family assistance and home visits in Tigaraksa district.

Lastri Mei Winarni, a lecturer at Yatsi Madani University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, said the audit found a divide between knowledge and the ability to put that knowledge into practice. Families understood how to provide good food for children, she said, but financial conditions remained a major obstacle.

“

One of the things we found was a gap between knowledge and the ability of families to apply that knowledge in daily life. Families understand how to give children good food, but economic conditions are one of the main obstacles.

The audit found problems at several stages of family life. Among prospective married couples, researchers found unstable finances and smoking by husbands. Pregnant women faced anemia and chronic energy deficiency. After childbirth, some families reported declining breast-milk production and less-than-optimal exclusive breastfeeding.

“

We see that mothers cannot be placed as the only party responsible for children’s health. The father’s role, household finances, the mother’s health, the environment and the family’s ability to make decisions are all interconnected.

The findings challenge an approach that places responsibility for child health mainly on mothers. Lastri said fathers, household finances, maternal health, the surrounding environment and a family’s ability to make decisions all affect children’s health.

Community workers responded with staged family visits and education on prenatal checkups, mothers’ physical and psychological preparation, complementary feeding, nutrition for young children, maternal mental health, fathers’ roles, healthy living and family planning. The program increased measured knowledge from 96.3% before education to 97.5% afterward. But Lastri warned that education alone cannot sustain behavioral change when families lack financial means, community support or support from their partners. She said the audit should guide the next round of interventions.

“

Education alone is not enough. When families know what to do but lack the economic ability, environmental support or support from their partners to apply it, behavioral change will be difficult to sustain. Therefore, the audit results must serve as the basis for the next interventions.