Kondisi Stunting di RA al-Muhajirin

Abstract

Although stunting among young children has been widely studied, research specifically describing stunting in raudhatul athfal (RA) educational institutions remains limited. This study aimed to describe stunting among young children at RA Al-Muhajirin. The study employed a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design involving purposively selected participants comprising 10 children in Group A, their parents, teachers, the principal, and a community health center nutritionist. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation, then analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. The results documented suspected stunting in 5 of the 10 children (50%), accompanied by records of height, weight, and health status assessed as not yet age-appropriate. Histories of feeding difficulties and frequent illness were consistently identified as co-occurring conditions. These findings provide a contextual account of child growth problems at RA Al-Muhajirin and highlight the role of faith-based early childhood education institutions in the early recognition of childhood nutritional problems. This study underscores the importance of ongoing growth monitoring and appropriate learning support to ensure that children with suspected stunting continue to have equal learning opportunities. Practical implications include strengthening collaboration among teachers, parents, early childhood education institutions, and health professionals in monitoring growth and supporting children. Future research should examine the relationship between stunting and cognitive development through more structured measurements using a longitudinal design.