<![CDATA[Sweetened condensed milk (SCM) is often misperceived as a suitable milk substitute for toddlers despite its composition. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics, SCM consumption, and stunting incidence. A cross-sectional study was conducted between May and September 2023 in Yogyakarta, involving 942 mother-toddler pairs using simple random sampling. Socio-demographic characteristics, maternal knowledge, understanding of SCM, and SCM consumption were collected through a structured questionnaire. Stunting was measured using height-for-age z-scores (HAZ). Data were analyzed using chi-square tests and binary logistic regression. The prevalence of stunting was 28.6%, and 5.1% of toddlers consumed SCM as a milk substitute. Several factors were associated with stunting (p<0.05), including mother's age, parental education and occupation, family income, mother's knowledge of nutrition, mother's knowledge of sweetened condensed milk, child's age, low birth weight (LBW), immunization history, history of infectious diseases, dietary diversity, reason for giving SCM, and understanding of SCM. Fathers’ occupation was identified as the dominant factor (p-value = <0.001; OR = 1.820), indicating that children of fathers working as laborers had a higher risk of developing stunting. In conclusion, these findings highlight the importance of improving parental understanding of SCM and strengthening fathers’ involvement in childcare.]]>
