Background
Stunting in children is still a public health problem in Indonesia and is of concern to the Indonesian government. Stunting in children can have both immediate and lasting impacts on the development of human capital and the future productivity of those affected individuals as they mature. Therefore, it is crucial for health care professionals and community volunteers to prioritize the detection and prevention of stunting in pregnant women in Indonesia health context. This study aims to understand and describe the experiences of community volunteers in detecting and preventing stunting in pregnant women.
Methods
A qualitative approach was employed in this study, conducted at the Garut Regency Health Center in West Java Province, Indonesia. Individual semi-structured, in-depth interviews were carried out with 15 community volunteers between August and September 2023. The data were then analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results
The study identified four theme clusters emerged from the thematic analysis: (1) challenges in detecting stunting in pregnant women, (2) effective communication with pregnant women and their family, (3) the need to increase knowledge in detecting and preventing stunting, (4) role and responsibility as health cadres in preventing stunting.