The Role of Sharing Peer Group Intervention on Nutritional Anemia Prevention to Children at Bayang Public Elementary School in Makassar City

Abstract

The prevalence of nutritional anemia is one of elementary shool-aged children’s nutritional problems andbrings an impact on students’ learning achievements. This study aimed to analyze the role of sharing peergroup intervention on nutritional anemia prevention to elementary school-aged children. The research designused was quasi-experiment with control group design. Population and samples of students from IV and Vclasses were 54 and the students were chosen through purposive sampling method. Data were analyzed withpaired test. Results showed that there were increment scores in cognitive aspect after sharing peer groupmethod was applied as research intervention (M=24.07; SD=11.851). The value was greater than cognitivescores increment after counseling method applied as research intervention (M=14.81; SD=8.931) with pvalue=0.002 less than significance value (p<0,05). It shows that there is increase of average increment torespondent’s cognitive scores. Average increment affective scores of respondents after sharing peer group(M=25.55; SD=15.275) was conducted is greater than counseling method (M=15.92; SD=14.212) with pvalue=0.020 less than significance value (p<0.05). It means that there is increase of average incrementto respondent’s affective scores. Average increment psychomotor scores of respondents after sharing peergroup (M=22.22; SD=11.208) was conducted is greater than counseling method (M=15.18; SD=11.559) withp value=0.027 less than significance value (p<0.05). It means that there is increase of average increment torespondent’s psychomotor scores. It is expected to shool practitioners to continue the counseling and sharingpeer group to students in order to maintain healthy food consumption pattern with sustainable and properway so that students can avoid nutritional anemia cases.