Gunawan Prayitno, Lilik Zuhriyah, Achmad Efendi, Syamsul Arifin, Rahmawati, Aidha Auliah, Aris Subagiyo
Background: Child stunting in Indonesia is tightly linked to environmental determinants within food and WASH systems. Objective: To test how household food security and social capital, enabled by open-innovation practices, shape child nutrition, preventive care, and hygiene behaviors in a semi-urban setting. Methods: A sequential explanatory design combined a household survey (n = 120) with in-depth interviews (n = 15) in Bumiaji, East Java. PLS-SEM estimated direct, moderating, and predictive effects; qualitative data explained pathways and contextual mechanisms. Results: Food access and utilization showed the strongest links to toddler feeding and WASH behaviors, while social capital amplified these effects. Community-led open-innovation (peer groups, co-creation with health workers, and local institutions) accelerated behavior change. Conclusions: Environmental pathways that integrate food systems, WASH, and community networks can deliver scalable stunting-prevention gains in semi-urban areas. Policy should institutionalize cross-sector collaboration and community co-design within local environmental governance. © 2025 The Author(s)
Regional and Urban Planning Department, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, 65142, Indonesia; Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, 65142, Indonesia; Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, 65142, Indonesia; Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, 65142, Indonesia
