Multidimensional Analysis of Stunting Incidence among Children Aged 24–59 Months in Stunting Locus Areas of South Aceh

South Aceh Regency has recorded an unusual rise in child stunting that runs counter to Indonesia’s declining national trend, reaching 40.2% in 2023 before easing slightly to 34.2% in 2024. This study examined the influence of household resources, dietary intake, and caregiving quality on stunting incidence among children aged 24–59 months in the designated stunting-locus sub-districts of South Aceh. A quantitative cross-sectional design was applied to 372 respondents selected through the Slovin formula from a population of 4,686 children, and the structural relationships were estimated using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that household resources, dietary intake, and caregiving quality each exerted a significant positive influence on children’s growth status, together accounting for a substantial proportion of variance in stunting incidence (R² = 0.806). Dietary intake exhibited the strongest effect, followed by household resources and caregiving quality. These findings underline nutrition-sensitive resource strengthening and responsive caregiving as priority intervention entry points in high-burden stunting areas.