Intervention strategies for stunting based on analytic network process in Bangka Belitung Province of Indonesia

Abstract

Stunting affects stature with all the consequences of disruption of growth and development and also affects economic productivity. In Indonesia, which is mostly archipelago, stunting interventions require a multi-sectoral convergence strategy. Difficulties often occur in coordinating multi-sectoral cooperation in the policy process. It is even more challenging to formulate and define intervention strategies at different administrative levels. The Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach, such as Analytic Network Process (ANP), is one of the multi-criteria measurement approaches used to obtain the relative priority scale of individual evaluations relative dependence between elements. This approach is possible for use in the public sector, such as stunting interventions, with a high amount of information, interactions, and complexity levels. Therefore, this research aimed to develop an institutional strategy model for stunting intervention in the archipelago. The study was located at Institut Pertanian
Bogor (IPB) University, Bogor and Bangka Belitung Island Province (Bangka and West Bangka Regency). The research method used pairwise comparison techniques with the ANP approach of 15 expert informants selected purposively based on their expertise, position and work. The framework model's construction in this study was carried out through a literature review of strategic issues consisting of criteria and indicators in decision-making for stunting reduction. Data analysis utilized Superdecisions version 2.8 software. The study results emphasized the priority strategies for nutrition-specific interventions in the initial phase of the first 1000 days of life, namely the conception period, pregnancy, and children under two years. Also, priority strategies for nutrition-sensitive interventions emphasized the importance of integrative holistic care patterns with access to safe water and improved sanitation. Based on this research, it can be concluded that the priority strategy model for stunting reduction in Indonesia, especially the archipelago, requires simultaneous multi-sectoral convergence. Recommendations for further research are to develop an intervention model in the practice of nutritious feeding with integrated, holistic, clean water, and improved sanitation access by the characteristics of the research location.