From Survival to Resilience: Household Consumption Patterns and Social Capital in Coping with Stunting

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-499-0_40How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Household consumption patterns; Social capital; Coping strategies; Coastal resilience

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between domestic nutritional habits and community-based social capital as essential coping mechanisms for mitigating stunting in high-risk coastal communities in Belawan Bahari, Medan, based on case study findings. Based on a qualitative research methodology, data was collected through profound interviews with mothers, participant observation of family nutrition habits, and analysis of home financial conditions. The findings suggest that daily consumption generally centers on survival, with foods centered around rice, fish, and eggs, while meat, fruits, and vegetables are rarely accessible. Street food often substitutes nutritionally balanced meals, reflecting practical eating habits shaped by children’s preferences and restricted by sporadic financial resources ranging below one million rupiah monthly. Examples of social capital as a coping mechanism include reliance on community health posts (posyandu), food sharing within families, and local support networks. While these networks can provide temporary support, they are not enough to ensure resilience in the long run. The study defines survival strategies, which involve immediate nutritional losses, and resilience strategies, which occur when communities use institutional support, community resources, and adaptive techniques. The article argues that resilience requires the strengthening of community networks together with systemic interventions in nutrition education, women’s empowerment, food security, and WASH services. The research highlights the connection between survival and resilience, offering theoretical considerations regarding food anthropology and practical policy suggestions to mitigate stunting in coastal communities.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Sulian Ekomila
AU  - Puspitawati Puspitawati
AU  - Eka Vidya Putra
AU  - Halimatus Sa’diyah
AU  - Maisyah Br Ginting
AU  - Lutfhia Chairun Nissa
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/12
TI  - From Survival to Resilience: Household Consumption Patterns and Social Capital in Coping with Stunting
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies (ICSSIS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 489
EP  - 500
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-499-0_40
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-499-0_40
ID  - Ekomila2025
ER  -