SOCIAL PROTECTION WAS NEEDED FOR STUNTING PREVENTION IN URBAN POOR FAMILIES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Social protection is one way to reduce the adverse effects of stunting on the urban poor.  This study aimed to analyze the impact of social protection on stunting prevention in urban poor communities.  The design of this study was a cross-sectional study, and the study location was in Makassar, the Capital City South Sulawesi Province of Indonesia, which has poor urban settlements.  The sample size was 180 people from impoverished families in economically disadvantaged areas of Makassar City located in 12 specific locations.  Stunting was presented by height-for-age Z-score (HAZ), based on the 2006 median WHO reference population.  The study revealed that a significant proportion of individuals with stunted growth had a documented background of malnutrition, with a staggering 81.4% requiring immediate access to food aid.  Moreover, an overwhelming 72.9% lacked social security assistance, while 73.1% reported a lack of access to affordable rice, further exacerbating their circumstances.  Therefore, social protection is very much needed by the urban poor to prevent stunting.