GAMBARAN PENGETAHUAN IBU DAN PRAKTIK STIMULASI TUMBUH KEMBANG PADA ANAK STUNTING DI WILAYAH KERJA PUSKESMAS KASSI – KASSI KOTA MAKASSAR = DESCRIPTION OF MOTHERS' KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT STIMULATION IN CHILDREN WITH STUNTING IN THE WORKING AREA OF THE KASSI-KASSI PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER IN MAKASSAR CITY

Yuniar Husari. R011221065. Overview of Mothers' Knowledge and Practices of Growth and Development Stimulation for Stunted Children in the Kassi-Kassi Community Health Center Work Area, Makassar City, supervised by Kadek Ayu Erika. Background. Stunting is a condition of growth failure in toddlers due to chronic malnutrition and repeated infections. One important factor in preventing and overcoming stunting is providing optimal growth and development stimulation from an early age to support child development. Mothers' knowledge regarding how to provide age-appropriate stimulation is lacking. Growth and development stimulation in children, which encompasses several aspects, plays a crucial role in helping children reach their full potential, and not all mothers understand the appropriate method. Objective: To describe mothers' knowledge regarding child growth and development and the stimulation provided to children in the Kassi-Kassi Community Health Center work area. Method: The study used a quantitative descriptive design with a cross-sectional approach. A sample of 214 mothers with stunted children aged 0–5 years was selected using consecutive sampling. Data were collected through a knowledge questionnaire (α=0.827) and analyzed univariately using frequency distribution and percentages. Results: Most respondents had good knowledge (94.4%) and adequate stimulation practices (82.6%). These results indicate that high maternal knowledge contributes to optimal growth and development stimulation practices for stunted children. Conclusion: The maternal knowledge in the Kassi-Kassi Community Health Center (Puskesmas) work area is relatively good and in line with optimal growth and development stimulation practices, although some stimulation practices are still lacking. Continuous education is still needed to maintain consistency and improve the quality of stimulation for stunted children.