SOCIOECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF MALNUTRITION AMONG CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE IN EASTERN INDONESIA

Malnutrition among children under the age of five is a major public health problem in Indonesia, especially in eastern Indonesia. Based on a report by Indonesia Basic Health Research (RISKESDAS) released by Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia in 2013, the highest prevalence of malnutrition among children in Indonesia was dominated by provinces in Eastern Indonesia including East Nusa Tenggara, West Papua, Maluku and West Sulawesi. High prevalence of child malnutrition in eastern Indonesia could be impacted by low socioeconomic backgrounds. Indonesia Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) data 2015 showed, the high poverty rate in Indonesia was still dominated by provinces in eastern Indonesia including West Papua, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and Gorontalo. The objective of this paper is to assess the impact of socioeconomic factors to malnutrition among children age group 0-59 month old in eastern Indonesia. This study used cross-section data obtained from Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) East 2012. The number of samples was 1.095 children and child nutritional status was categorized into two groups-malnourished and adequate according to WHO Child Growth Standards 2006. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) and probit models were used to determine socioeconomic determinants of malnutrition. Both of OLS and probit regressions showed that probability of malnutrition was higher among children in age group 12 to 47 months old. Malnutrition was also associated to children who were born in forth of his/her birth order or live in bigger household size. On the other hand, household expenditure for food, parent with university education and skilled birth attendant were factors which statistically significant to reduce child malnutrition probability.