Urban Built Environment Planning Factors Associated with Childhood Stunting in Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines the association between urban built environment planning factors and childhood stunting in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Childhood stunting is commonly addressed as a nutritional and health problem, yet its occurrence in urban areas is also shaped by spatial conditions, service accessibility, sanitation infrastructure, and food vulnerability. Banda Aceh provides an important case because it is the capital city of Aceh Province and functions as a center of government, services, and urban activities. The study used secondary data at the village level, including stunting prevalence, health facility distribution, sanitation index, and food vulnerability index in 2023. Spatial analysis was applied to describe the distribution of stunting and built environment variables, while multiple linear regression was used to examine their statistical association. The results show that Banda Aceh recorded 1,062 stunting cases with an overall prevalence of 10.66% in 2023. The regression model indicates that health facility accessibility, sanitation, and food vulnerability collectively explain 18% of the variation in stunting prevalence. However, only food vulnerability shows a significant negative association with stunting, while health facility accessibility and sanitation are not statistically significant in the partial tests. These findings suggest that urban stunting reduction requires a planning approach that goes beyond physical service provision by integrating food security, sanitation improvement, and equitable access to urban health-supportive infrastructure.