THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EARLY MARRIAGE AND STUNTING IN POPAYATO DISTRICT, POHUWATO REGENCY

Abstract

Early marriage has been recognized as a potential social determinant of child malnutrition; however, evidence regarding its relationship with stunting remains inconsistent. This study aimed to examine the relationship between early marriage and stunting among children under five years of age in Popayato District, Pohuwato Regency, Indonesia. A quantitative analytical study with a cross-sectional design was conducted among 22 mothers of children with stunting using total sampling. Data were collected through structured interviews and anthropometric measurements. Maternal age at first marriage was categorized as ≤19 years (early marriage) and >19 years (mature-age marriage). Children's nutritional status was assessed using the World Health Organization Child Growth Standards based on Weight-for-Age (WAZ) and Height-for-Age (HAZ) Z-scores. Data were analyzed descriptively, and the Chi-square test was used to determine the association between early marriage and stunting. Among the respondents, 63.6% were married at or before 19 years of age. Most mothers had junior high school education (45.5%) and were housewives (86.4%). Based on WAZ, 50.0% of children were severely underweight and 40.9% were underweight. No significant association was found between maternal age at marriage and children's nutritional status based on WAZ (p = 0.117) or HAZ (p = 0.333). Early marriage was common among respondents but was not significantly associated with stunting. These findings suggest that stunting is influenced by multiple interacting factors beyond maternal age at marriage, highlighting the need for comprehensive interventions targeting maternal education, nutrition, and healthcare access.