STUDY ON RELATIONSHIP OF EXCLUSIVEBREASTFEEDING AND MOTHER EDUCATION WITH SEVERELY STUNTING CASE: EVIDENCE FROM PADANG CITY

ABSTRACT Stunting has been highligted as one of the nutritional problems worlwide especially in developing countries. In Indonesia, Padang is one among those cities with the highest stunting caseswhose a prevalence rate is 22,6%. Such a high rate must be suppressed since the World Health Oganization (WHO) stated that the stunting should be of a main concern if the prevalence rate reaches more than 20%. Associated with such issue, this research examines the relationship of exclusive breastfeeding and mother educational backgroundindependently with a case of severely stunting. The data is gathered from a local public health center (known as Puskesmas) in Andalasworking territory whose number of the recorded stunting case is the third higest-ranked (13%) in Padang city. An analytical survey research with case control design is carried out,and anon-probabilitytyped- purposive sampling technique is used in whichthe number ofrespondents are devided into two group i.e., 20 case typedand 20 control typed sample of toddlers. Bivariate and univariate analysis with Chi-Square statistical test show that while there exists positive correlation between exclusive-breastfeeding and severely stunting case, the opposite relationship is demostrated by a mother educational background with the severely stunting case. It is further suggested that the health personnels should improve healthcare services by providing a better health screening work in a monthly routine and conducting a counseling of the exclusive breastfeeding regularly. Keyword:S evere ly S tunting, E xclusive B reastfeeding, M other E ducation, A nalytical S urvey