Hubungan Status Gizi Pendek (Stunting) dengan Erupsi dan Karies Gigi Sulung pada Balita di Kecamatan Merek Kabupaten Karo

Abstract

Stunting is a form of malnutrition due to chronic nutritional deficiency, which only becomes apparent after the child is 2 years old. The condition of stunting can cause disorders in the child's oral cavity, one of which is caries. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between stunting and the eruption and early childhood caries using the def-t index in toddlers. This research was descriptive analytic with a cross-sectional design. The population was all toddlers living in the Posyandu of Merek District, Karo Regency, with a sample taken using accidental sampling totaling 93 children. Children's height was obtained from secondary data and children's caries was measured using the def-t Klein index. Data analysis was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The results showed that 78.7% of children in the normal category had a mean def-t score of 4.12 ± 2.30, 18.4% of stunted children in the short category had a mean deft score of 5.47 ± 2.31, while 2.9,% of stunted children in the very short category had the highest mean deft score of 5.80 ± 1.64. Statistical analysis showed a significant relationship between stunting and early childhood caries in toddlers at the Posyandu of Merek District, Karo Regency (p=0.014). It can be concluded that the shorter the stunted child, the higher their caries experience.