THE RELATIONSHIP OF MOTHER'S KNOWLEDGE WITH STUNTING INCIDENTS IN THE WORKING AREA OF THE FISHERMEN'S HEALTH CENTER CIREBON CITY

Stunting is a chronic nutritional problem in children, characterized by height below
WHO standards, caused by malnutrition or recurrent infections. This condition has
a significant impact on cognitive growth and development, making it an urgent
public health issue. Mother's knowledge, as the foundation of healthy behavior, is
essential in stunting prevention efforts. This study examined the relationship of
maternal knowledge and stunting in toddlers in the Working Area of the Cirebon
City Fishermen's Health Center. This quantitative cross-sectional study involved
toddler mothers in the working area of the fishermen's puskesmas. The results
showed the majority of mothers (81%) had less knowledge of stunting, and 31% of
toddlers experienced very short stunting. With the Chi-Square Analysis results, a
significant relationship (p = 0.043) between maternal knowledge and stunting
events; low-knowledge mothers tend to have more severe stunting children (38.2%
of very short cases). This study indicates that maternal knowledge is an important
factor in stunting events. Therefore, it is recommended to the Fisherman Health
Center to intensify stunting education for toddler mothers through counseling and
regular visits. The goal is to improve understanding and better nutritional
practices. The increase in maternal knowledge is expected to be effective in
decreasing the prevalence of stunting in research areas, supporting the formation
of healthier generations.