The relationship between access to safe drinking water and the village development index and stunting prevalence: A secondary data analysis

Abstract

Background: Stunting is a chronic nutritional problem that reflects a failure to achieve optimal growth due to prolonged undernutrition, particularly during the first 1000 days of life. One of the key environmental determinants influencing stunting is access to safe drinking water and the overall condition of rural development. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between access to safe drinking water and the Village Development Index on the prevalence of stunting in Indonesia in 2024. Methods: This study employed a secondary data analysis design with a quantitative approach. Data were obtained from the 2024 Indonesia Nutrition Status Survey, the village development index (VDI) from the Ministry of Villages, and the Central Bureau of Statistics. Data were analyzed using Kendall’s Tau-b correlation and multiple linear regression tests with a significance level of 0.05. Findings: Analysis of 37 provinces revealed a negative relationship between access to safe drinking water and stunting prevalence (r = –0.277; p = 0.018), and a stronger relationship between the Village Development Index and stunting (r = –0.418; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that only the Village Development Index had a significant effect on stunting (β = –0.591; p = 0.001). These findings support the Social Determinants of Health theory, emphasizing that the reduction of stunting is more strongly influenced by comprehensive village development than by a single environmental factor such as water access. Conclusion: Comprehensive rural development plays a crucial role in reducing stunting prevalence in Indonesia, surpassing the isolated impact of environmental factors such as access to safe drinking water. This highlights the importance of a multidimensional, socially driven development approach to accelerate national stunting reduction efforts. Novelty/Originality of this article: This study introduces a novel approach by linking the VDI with stunting prevalence, demonstrating the role of rural development as a social determinant—an aspect that has been rarely explored in previous research.