Global Research Trends on Stunting Prevention in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Abstract

Background : Stunting is a significant health problem in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite the upward research of stunting in LMICs, the prevalence of stunting still exceeds WHO targets. Objective : This research trend aims to look at the future research of stunting prevention in LMICs. Research Methods/ Implementation Methods : Bibliometric analysis was conducted using the PubMed database with a publication range of 1990–2024. A total of 430 articles that met the inclusion criteria were extracted and analyzed using bibliometric tools and VOSviewer. Results : The number of publications has increased significantly, particularly over the past 34 years. Research on stunting prevention in low- and middle-income countries has been predominantly conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, while the United States emerged as the most productive country. Most publications focused on themes related to breastfeeding, undernutrition, and education. Based on the keyword co-occurrence visualization, this bibliometric analysis identified potential themes that may guide future research directions. Conclusion/Lesson Learned : This study uses quantitative data to emphasize the importance of greater research attention to stunting prevention in children, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Stunting prevention interventions are shifting from traditional approaches to addressing multifactorial causes.