ANALYSIS OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF CHILDREN IN THE VILLAGE PAIHEME DISTRICT CENTRAL TAPANULI NORTH SUMATRA

Abstract

The nutritional status of children under five years in Indonesia is still cause for concern, because of 5,119,935 children under five of 17,983,244 children under five in Indonesia (28.47%) include in group of malnutrition. Nutritional problems in Indonesia and developing countries in general are still dominated by protein energy malnutrition, iron anemia problems, interference problems caused by lack of iodine, the problem of lack of vitamins and the problem of obesity, especially in big cities and remote areas. The low nutritional status of children in West Sorkam subdistrict Sipeapea Paiheme village public health center (PHC) work area related to knowledge, income, education, occupation, status of diarrhea and exclusive breastfeeding. This is a descriptive analytic study with cross-sectional analysis is to determine the nutritional status of infants in Middle Tapanuli District West Sorkam subdistrict Sipeapea Paiheme PHC work area. The study population was mothers who have children under five, with a large sample of 96 mothers. Data was collected by interview using a questionnaire. Analysis of data using simple logistic regression test at 95% confidence level. The result showed that most of the good nutritional status of 67.7% and malnutrition status of 32.3%. Factors knowledge, education and status of children under five with diarrhea had a significant association with the nutritional status of children in which the value of p-values <0.05. While the factor income, employment and exclusive breastfeeding did not have a significant relationship with the nutritional status of children in which the value of p-value> 0.05. From the multiple logistic regression test results concluded that the education variable is the dominant with score OR = 8.271, which means mother of higher education have the opportunity to her children good nutritional status than mothers with low education after the controlled variable knowledge, job, status of children under five with diarrhea and exclusive breastfeeding. Suggested for health workers in the district of West Sorkam in order to further improve counselling about nutrition to the public and counselling on how to prevent diarrhea to reduce the incidence of diarrhea and to increase the knowledge of the mother in providing good nutrition for children.