Factors Associated with Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED) in Pregnant Women: An Analysis of the 2018 Indonesian Basic Health Survey (Riskesdas) Data for South Kalimantan Province

Introduction: The condition of Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED) in pregnant women is characterized by the long-term presence of nutritional deficiencies. The objective of this study was to analyze the factors associated with CED in pregnant women in South Kalimantan Province. Methods: The research design employed by the present study was cross-sectional, using secondary data from the 2018 Indonesian Basic Health Survey (Riskesdas). The population under study was all pregnant women in South Kalimantan Province. The total sampling technique was employed, and the sample size was determined to be 169 pregnant women. The instrument used for this study was the Indonesian Basic Health Survey (Riskesdas) from 2018 as mentioned. The data were subjected to analysis using two statistical methods: the chi-square test and multivariate test with logistic regression. Results: The results showed a correlation between supplementary feeding (p-value 0.008) and BMI (p-value < 0.001) with CED. Conversely, age (p-value 0.327), area of residence (p-value 0.870), educational attainment (p-value 0.981), employment status (p-value 0.456), parity (p-value 0.576), and fruit and vegetable consumption (p-value 0.718) were found to be non-significant correlates of CED. Discussion: The findings highlight the critical role of maternal nutritional status, particularly BMI and access to supplementary feeding, in the manifestation of CED among pregnant women. The observed absence of correlation between sociodemographic factors and CED suggests that biological and programmatic interventions may exert a more significant influence than structural variables in this context. Conclusion: The present study concludes that supplementary feeding and body mass index (BMI) have a significant correlation with CED, with supplementary feeding being the most dominant risk factor. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Bentham Open.