<![CDATA[Background: Stunting is an irreversible condition resulting from inadequate nutritional intake, recurrent infections, or chronic illness during the first 1,000 days of life. It can adversely affect children’s cognitive and social development, physical health, and long-term economic productivity. Purpose: To identify factors associated with stunting among children aged 12–59 months in Indonesian border regions. Method: This cross-sectional study analyzed secondary data from the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey (SKI) among children aged 12–59 months living in Indonesian border regions. The analysis was conducted from March to May 2026. A total of 3,914 eligible children were included. The dependent variable was stunting, while the independent variables were diarrhea, tuberculosis (TB), acute respiratory infection (ARI), low birth weight (LBW), handwashing practices, sanitation facilities, maternal educational level, and parity. Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate analyses. Results: The prevalence of stunting was 27.5%. Bivariate analysis showed significant associations between ARI, LBW, sanitation facilities, maternal educational level, parity, and stunting (p < 0.001). No significant associations were found between diarrhea (p = 0.999), TB (p = 0.669), handwashing practices (p = 0.130), and stunting. Conclusion: ARI, LBW, sanitation facilities, maternal educational level, and parity were significantly associated with stunting among children aged 12–59 months in Indonesian border regions. In contrast, diarrhea, TB, and handwashing practices were not significantly associated with stunting. These findings suggest that stunting in border regions is associated with a combination of child health, birth-related, environmental, and socio-demographic factors.]]>
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