The Relationship between Mothers’ Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior to Meet Toddlers’ Nutritional Needs Status at the Work Area of UPT Puskesmas Ajangale 2021

Abstract

Nutrition is one of the determinants of the human resources’ quality. Food served daily have to fit nutrients as needed, so it may support optimal growth and can prevent deficiency diseases, prevent poisoning, and also help prevent diseases that can interfere to children's growth. The attitude of mother in providing nutritional supplementary for children is something that can determine how to behave in providing food supplementary and family nutrition, especially for toddlers. Toddler period is characterized by a very rapid growth and development process and is accompanied by changes that require more nutrients in high quality. Food consumption has an important role in the physical growth and intelligence of children so that food consumption has a major effect on the nutritional status of children to achieve the physical growth and intelligence of children. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship among knowledge, attitudes and behavior of mothers to the nutritional status of children under five/toddlers at (Unit of Technical Implementation) UPT Public Health Centre (Puskesmas) Ajangale. This type of research is descriptive correlational research. The number of samples was 40 mothers who had toddlers. The research analysis used bivariate test. Based on the results of the study showed that there was a relationship between mothers’ knowledge in nutrition and the nutritional status of toddlers with the chi square test results obtained p-value = 0.001 p <0.05. And there is a relationship between mother's attitude and nutritional status of toddlers with the chi square test results obtained p-value = 0.001 p <0.05. And there is a relationship between mothers’ behavior and the nutritional status of children under five/toddlers with the chi square test results obtained p-value = 0.001 p <0.05. It is recommended to health workers, especially midwives, to provide counseling to improve understanding related to the importance to meet nutrition in toddlers needs, starting from exclusive breastfeeding until the age of two and serving weaning food (MP-ASI) appropriately and adequately as an effort to prevent and handle stunting cases in Bone Regency. Keywords: [Toddler Nutrition Status, Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior].