Organization:  Nusa Cendana University (UNDANA), Faculty of Social and Political Sciences.

Study site: Christian Evangelical Church in Timor (GMIT) Imanuel Kesetnana, South Central Timor-East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.

Project lead: Dr. Yeheskial A. Roen, S.Si., M.Si.

Background/Context:

Stunting is a child growth problem linked to poor nutrition, repeated illness, caregiving practices, and families’ social and environmental conditions. In South Central Timor, the 2024 Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI) reported a stunting prevalence of 56.8% among children under five, compared with 19.8% nationally. This highlights the need for sustained support during the first 1,000 days of life, from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday.

Our first-stage research in Kesetnana found that mothers carried most childcare responsibilities, while support from fathers and extended family varied. Economic constraints and cultural beliefs also shaped feeding and breastfeeding practices. Families therefore need accurate information, everyday support, and accessible health services.

At GMIT Imanuel Kesetnana, deacons already interact with families through home visits and social and spiritual ministry. These relationships provide a foundation for stunting prevention, but have not yet been developed into a structured support model with clear role boundaries, visit tools, and service linkages. Deacons’ roles should focus on listening, offering encouragement, sharing information agreed upon with health workers, and connecting families with Posyandu community health posts and Puskesmas primary health centers.

This study will develop and pilot a deacon-based family support model together with families, church representatives, Posyandu volunteers, and health workers. It aims to produce a simple, safe, locally appropriate, and feasible model that complements health services. As a developmental study, it will assess the model’s acceptability, usability, and feasibility before broader evaluation.

Research Question:

This study will work with families, deacons, church representatives, Posyandu volunteers, and health workers to develop and pilot a family support model for the first 1,000 days of life. It will explore how deacons can provide safe and practical support that fits local needs and complements existing health services.

1. The main research question is: How can a deacon-based family support model be developed, and how acceptable, easy to use, and feasible is it at GMIT Imanuel Kesetnana?

Study Aims:

1. Build on the first-stage findings to clarify family needs, deacons’ knowledge and current practices, and connections between the church and local health services.
2. Work together to create a simple plan for family support. The plan will explain what deacons can do and when they need help from health workers. It will include training materials, a guide for family visits, simple record forms, and steps for connecting families with health services. Experts will review the materials, and the team will improve them.
3. Train about 10 deacons and try the plan with about 10 families. Find out whether families and deacons welcome it, whether the tools are easy to use, and whether the plan can work in practice. Use what we learn to improve the plan and its guide.

Impact:

The project aims to help families feel supported, access reliable information, and connect with appropriate health services. Deacons will listen, encourage, share approved information, and facilitate referrals; diagnosis and treatment will remain with health professionals. The project will produce a family support model and practical tools for the congregation, refined through the pilot. Its findings will inform future evaluation and possible adaptation in other communities. This study will assess whether the approach can work in practice; it will not establish a reduction in stunting prevalence.

Open Positions: Fully Staffed

Timeline:  November 2026 – November 2027

Subscribe to follow project updates or enter a comment below.