Diet and Nutritional Status of Pre-School Children in Indonesian

Abstract

Nutritional inadequacies for pre-school children can lead to problems related to nutritional status. One of the factors that can influenced is a poor-quality diet. The aims of this study were to determine the diet and nutritional status of pre-school children. Method of this research uses descriptive analytic with purposive sampling technique. The number of samples in this study were 179 parents who had of pre-school children in the Barebbo Public Health Center, Indonesian. This study instrument used a questionnaire on children’s diet and classification of nutritional status, namely height-for-age and weight-for-height. Assessment of children’s diet using a questionnaire and classification of nutritional status based on the Indonesian Ministry of Health. Measurements of weight was achieved with the digital scales and height measured on the microtoise. Data were presented in frequency distributions of demographic characteristics, diet, nutritional status, and cross tabulations. The results showed that the diet of pre-school children was high-quality diet (69.8%), a balance-quality diet (24%), and moderate-quality diet (6.2%). The classification of nutritional status based on height-for-age was height according to age (84.4%), stunted (10.1%) and severely stunted (2.2%). Weight-for-height was weight-for-height according to age (82.1%), wasted (10.1%) and severely wasted (2.8%). Pre-school children with moderate-quality diet were severely stunted (9.1%) and stunted (9.1%). The conclusion is that pre-school children have a nutritional status according to age, based on height-for-age and weight-for-height and have a high-quality diet. Therefore, it is important for nurses to provide diet quality according to age education to parents and routine monthly monitoring of pre-school children nutritional status at the public health center.