<![CDATA[Stunting remains a major public health challenge in Indonesia. In Penajam Paser Utara (PPU) Regency, despite being classified as food-secure overall, the stunting prevalence remains high (21.8%), suggesting disparities in food security across villages. This study examined the relationship between the village-level Food Security Index (FSI) and stunting prevalence in PPU. An ecological correlational design was conducted using secondary data from the 2023 Precision Village Data (DDP), comprising 33,321 individuals and 7,639 households, and the 2023 community-based nutrition surveillance system (e-PPGBM), including 4,976 children under five from eight community health centres. Total sampling covered 40 of 54 villages (74%). The FSI was developed from nine indicators representing food availability, access, and utilisation, standardised using z-scores and normalised to a 0–100 scale. Data were analysed using the Shapiro–Wilk test, Spearman correlation, and backward multiple linear regression. The mean village FSI was 57.81, indicating moderate vulnerability, while the mean stunting prevalence was 13.70%. FSI was significantly and inversely associated with stunting (ρ = −0.464; p = 0.003). Poverty emerged as the strongest predictor of stunting (β = 0.458; p = 0.002; adjusted R² = 0.261). Strengthening village food security through targeted poverty reduction should be prioritised to accelerate stunting reduction in PPU Regency.]]>
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