The association between chronic energy deficit (ced), anemia in pregnant women and malnutrition in pediatric: an evidence from Aimas District, Sorong Regency, West Papua Province, Indonesia

Introduction: Stunting in children is still a problem in Indonesia. Addressing this issue, it is important to analyze the associated risk factors. One of them is a history of anemia and Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED) in pregnant women. This study aims to assess the relationship between a history of anemia and CED in pregnant women with the incidence of stunting in Aimas District. Method: A case-control study design with an analytical approach was performed. The population was all children in Aimas District, aged over 6 months and a maximum of 5 years. Data collection was carried out in November 2021. The sampling method used was total sampling. An anthropometric instrument was conducted in confirming the diagnosis of malnutrition. Malnutrition is defined as undernutrition, malnutrition, and stunting. Anemia and CED were determined based on the maternal and child health book to obtain data on hemoglobin levels and upper arm circumference. Due to limited data, anemia and CED variables are one unit. The statistical test is Chi-Square with SPSS Statistics version 23. Results: The total research subjects were 1060, spread over 26 Integrated Healthcare Centers. There were 174 subjects with malnutrition, divided into 22 with poor nutrition and 152 with stunting. The results of the bivariate analysis showed that anemia and CED in pregnancy are risk factors for malnutrition in children (OR = 12.35, P = 0.00). Conclusion: Anemia and CED in pregnant women are risk factors for malnutrition in children in Aimas District.