Analysis of the Free Nutritious Food Program (MBG) in Addressing Stunting Among Lower-Grade Students at SDN 042 Tarakan
Keywords:
Free Nutritious Food Program (MBG), Nutritional Status, StuntingAbstract
Stunting remains a major nutritional challenge affecting children in many developing countries, including Indonesia. The Free Nutritious Food Program (MBG) implemented at SDN 042 Tarakan aims to address this issue by providing nutrient-dense meals to lower-grade students (grades 1–3). This qualitative study seeks to examine the effectiveness of the MBG program in improving students’ nutritional status and reducing stunting cases. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), participatory observations, and document analysis involving six homeroom teachers, the school principal, the MBG coordinator, and parents. The findings reveal notable improvements in students’ weight and height after participating in the program. Most students developed healthier eating habits, although challenges remain concerning the consistency of these habits at home. The study also highlights logistical and budgetary constraints that hinder optimal program implementation. Despite these limitations, the MBG program demonstrates strong potential in enhancing students’ health and overall well-being. Further research using quantitative methods is recommended to assess the long-term impact of MBG and its scalability to other schools facing similar nutritional issues
Downloads
References
Agustini, U. (2025). Efektivitas dan tantangan kebijakan program makan bergizi gratis sebagai intervensi pendidikan di Indonesia. Jurnal Kiprah Pendidikan, 4(3), 362–368.
Aldi, M. D., & Alkaff, R. N. (2022). Gambaran Kejadian Stunting Balita pada Ibu Pekerja di Aceh: Analisis Lanjutan Data Riskesdas 2018. Jurnal Masyarakat Sehat Indonesia, 1(03), 97–103.
Ariesta, R., SiT, S., Suriana, S. K., Simanullang, P., Mustikaningrum, A. C., KM, S., Gizi, M., Saadah, N., & Kp, S. (2024). Mengatasi Stunting Dengan Kekuatan Partisipasi: Pendekatan Pra Untuk Meningkatkan Gizi Anak. Nuansa Fajar Cemerlang.
Barnhill, A., & Bonotti, M. (2021). Healthy eating policy and political philosophy: A public reason approach. Oxford University Press.
Baxter, K. A., Nambiar, S., So, T. H. J., Gallegos, D., & Byrne, R. (2022). Parental feeding practices in families experiencing food insecurity: A scoping review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(9), 5604.
Case, L. P. (2023). The dog: its behavior, nutrition, and health. John Wiley & Sons.
Cole, R. (2024). Inter-rater reliability methods in qualitative case study research. Sociological Methods & Research, 53(4), 1944–1975.
Duncan, E., Ashton, L., Abdulai, A. R., Sawadogo-Lewis, T., King, S. E., Fraser, E. D. G., Vosti, S., Haines, J., Knight, F., & Roberton, T. (2022). Connecting the food and agriculture sector to nutrition interventions for improved health outcomes. Food security, 14(3), 657–675.
Flores-Vázquez, A. S., Rodríguez-Rocha, N. P., Herrera-Echauri, D. D., & Macedo-Ojeda, G. (2024). A systematic review of educational nutrition interventions based on behavioral theories in school adolescents. Appetite, 192, 107087.
Herniati, N. (2025). Efektivitas Program Pemerintah MBG (Makan Bergizi Gratis) Terhadap Minat Belajar Anak Usia Dini. Jurnal Pendidikan AURA (Anak Usia Raudhatul Atfhal), 6(1), 88–98.
Indriyastuti, H. I., & Kartono, D. T. (2022). Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) program on the management of stunting cases in Indonesia. International Journal of Recent Research in Interdisciplinary Sciences (IJRRIS), 9(2), 60–65.
Koswara, A., & Herlina, L. (2025). A Collaborative Model for Funding Indonesia’s MBG Program Through Government and Philanthropy Partnerships. Journal of Islamic Economics and Philanthropy, 7(4), 266–288.
Manouilidou, E., Papadopoulou, E. A., & Chatzikiriakou, I. (2024). Teacher Evaluation: A Triangulation Study of Data Sources. European Journal of Contemporary Education and E-Learning, 2(3), 54–73.
Marissa, M. (2024). Hospital Management on Stunting Intervention For Economic Growth Acceleration Towards The Golden Indonesia 2045. Proceeding of International Conference on Economic Issues, 1(1), 269–296.
Nurhalisa, N., Munawarah, I., Rohati, N., Nurfadila, N., Novita, H., Indra, N. N., Melia, O. R., Jarwina, R., & Marniati, M. (2025). Peningkatan Status Gizi Sekolah Dasar Melalui Edukasi Dan Interfensi Gizi Seimbang Dilingkungan Sekolah. Zona: Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat, 2(2), 187–194.
Organization, W. H. (2021). Promoting physical activity through schools: a toolkit. World Health Organization.
Oudat, Q., Messiah, S. E., Ghoneum, A. D., & Okour, A. (2025). A Narrative Review of Multifactorial Determinants of Childhood Eating Behaviors: Insights and Interventions Using the Social Ecological Model. Children, 12(3), 388.
Pancani, P. C. T., & Ningsih, N. (2025). A Comprehensive Study on MBG (Makan Bergizi Gratis) in the Prabowo-Gibran Cabinet: Evaluating the Psychological and Health Impacts of the Policy on Underserved Communities. Jurnal Ilmu Psikologi Dan Kesehatan (Sikontan), 3(4), 177–186.
Pinto, J., da Costa Ximenes, Z., de Jesus, A., de Jesus Leite, A. do R., & Noronha, H. (2023). The Role of Nutrition in Children’s Growth and Development at Early Age: Systematic Review. International Journal of Research in Science and Technology, 13(4), 23–30.
Puspito, A. N., Ubaidillah, M., Suud, H. M., Faiqah, Q. N., Kaylani, G. L., Aliyah, R., Putri, D. N., & Azzahra, A. P. (2025). Pengenalan Pola Hidup Sehat dan Bersih pada Siswa Sekolah Dasar Pancoran 3 Bondowoso Guna Mengatasi Stunting pada Usia Anak Sekolah Dasar. Jurnal Pengabdian Nasional (JPN) Indonesia, 6(1), 243–251.
Pyo, J., Lee, W., Choi, E. Y., Jang, S. G., & Ock, M. (2023). Qualitative research in healthcare: necessity and characteristics. Journal of preventive medicine and public health, 56(1), 12.
Qomarrullah, R., Suratni, S., & Sawir, M. (2025). Dampak Jangka Panjang Program Makan Bergizi Gratis terhadap Kesehatan dan Keberlanjutan Pendidikan. Indonesian journal of intellectual publication, 5(2), 130–137.
Rahmah, H. A., Anggraini, A., Nilasari, Y. P., & Salsabilla, E. P. (2025). Analisis Efektivitas Program Makan Bergizi Gratis Di Sekolah Dasar Indonesia Tahun 2025. Integrative Perspectives of Social and Science Journal, 2(2 Mei), 2855–2866.
Rumlah, S. (2022). Masalah sosial dan solusi dalam menghadapi fenomena stunting pada anak. Krinok: Jurnal Pendidikan Sejarah dan Sejarah, 1(3), 83–91.
Saleh, A. A., Abdullah, S., Muhammad, R., Amir, M. Y., & Sulvinajayanti, S. (2025). Rethinking School Nutrition via Community Engagement: A Review with Implications for Indonesia’s MBG Program. Media Kesehatan Masyarakat Indonesia, 21(3), 259–273.
Savarino, G., Corsello, A., & Corsello, G. (2021). Macronutrient balance and micronutrient amounts through growth and development. Italian journal of pediatrics, 47(1), 109.
Setyaningsih, P., & Mustikaningrum, A. C. (2025). Gizi Seimbang untuk Anak: Pilar Utama Tumbuh Kembang Optimal. Deepublish.
Sharma, M. (2021). Theoretical foundations of health education and health promotion. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Sunarya, A. (2023). Stunting Reduction in Indonesia: Challenges and Opportunities. International Journal of Sustainable Development & Planning, 18(7).
Tambunan, K. A. H., Nababan, R., Siagian, R. A., Naiborhu, R., Harianti, S., & Jamaludin, J. (2025). Tinjauan Kritis Tentang Program Makan Bergizi Gratis Terhadap Produktivitas Belajar Siswa. Katalis Pendidikan: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan Dan Matematika, 2(2), 21–31.
Utama, D., Fahmi, R., & Pratama, M. R. K. (2025). Performance Comparison of 10 Machine Learning Algorithms in Sentiment Classification on Platform X Regarding the Government’s Priority Program: Makanan Bergizi Gratis (MBG). Teknika, 14(3), 501–508.
Wahyuniar, L., & Pustakasari, E. N. I. (2025). Effectiveness of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Program on Nutritional Status, Learning Concentration, and Student Attendance in South Jakarta Elementary Schools. Jurnal Medisci, 3(3), 201–221.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Muh. Zefri Awal (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
