The Relationship Between Exposure To Cigarette Smoke And Stunting In Children Aged 12–59 Months At Posyandu Manggis 14

Abstract

Background: Stunting is a public health problem due to chronic undernutrition and remains high in Indonesia, including in Kemuning Lor Village, Jember Regency. Beyond nutritional factors, exposure to tobacco smoke is suspected to increase the risk of stunting in young children. Objective: To analyze the association between tobacco smoke exposure and stunting among children aged 12–59 months at Posyandu Manggis 14, Kemuning Lor Village, Arjasa District. Methods: This cross‑sectional study involved 49 mothers with children aged 12–59 months selected by simple random sampling. Data were collected through direct measurements and questionnaires and analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation. Results: Of the sample, 57% of children had normal nutritional status and 43% were stunted. Tobacco smoke exposure was mostly classified as low (57%) and moderate (22%). Spearman’s rank test showed a significant, moderate association between tobacco smoke exposure and stunting (ρ = 0.487; p = 0.000). Conclusion: Tobacco smoke exposure is significantly associated with stunting in young children; higher exposure correlates with greater stunting risk. Recommendation: Future studies should include additional variables such as household socioeconomic status, complementary feeding practices (MP‑ASI), and environmental sanitation to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of factors influencing stunting.

Keywords: Tobacco smoke exposure;Stunting; young children;Passive smoking;Tobacco residue.