Background: Stunting is one of the priority nutritional issues in Indonesia. It is one of the chronic malnutrition effects in children which will have a long-term impact on the growth and cross-generation of mothers through the cycle of stunting syndrome. Purpose: This study aimed to identify the determinant factors of stunting in children aged 12-59 months.Methods: Quantitative research with a cross-sectional approach was employed in this study, involving 205 respondents recruited using a consecutive sampling technique. Data were collected using the z scores and questionnaires for children aged 12-59 months, food trust questionnaire, feeding practice questionnaire and child eating habits questionnaire. The Chi Square test and multivariable logistic regression were performed for the data analysis.Results: Children who were not exclusively breastfed and had major infectious disease had a higher risk of stunting for 53.8% and 40.9%, respectively. There was a significant relationship between the history of exclusive breastfeeding (p=0.001, OR=2.28), the history of infection (p=0.013, OR= 2.27), and eating habits (p=0.04, OR=1.55) with stunting in children.Conclusion: There is a relationship between the history of exclusive breastfeeding, the history of infection and eating habits of children with stunting. The formation of a peer group community of children aged 12-59 months is expected to prevent and overcome stunting and improve nutritional status and optimal development of the children.

Stunting becomes one of the prior nutritional problems in Bangka Belitung Islands Province, especially West Bangka Regency with a high stunting rate. Feeding habit in children will continuously influence nutrition fulfillment that will directly affect the incidence of stunting. This study aimed at identifying the correlation between feeding habit (beliefs, feeding practices, and children’s eating behavior and the incidence of stunting in children under five years in West Bangka Regency. This was a quantitative study with across-sectional approach. The total sample was 186 respondents taken using a consecutive sampling technique. The instruments for data collection were height measuring instrument, height-for-age graphic according to WHO 2006 to see the z-score and the under-five children’s characteristics questionnaire, a questionnaire of food beliefs, feeding practices questionnaire (CFQ), and child eating behaviour (CEBQ). The analysis in this study used a Chi-Square test. The result showed that there was a significant correlation between child eating behavior and the incidence of stunting in children under five in West Bangka Regency with a p-valueof 0.001 (p<0.05) and an OR of 4.89. It indicates that the low eating behavior in children under five has a possibility of 4.89 times higher to experience stunting than the high eating behavior. Also, there is no correlation between mothers’ beliefs and feeding practices with the incidence of stunting (p-value of 0.2 & 0.7 respectively). This study is expected to form a peer group for the community of under-five children’s families to prevent and improve the children’s nutritional status and development optimally.