Nutr Res Pract.  2010 Jun;4(3):208-214.

High participation in the Posyandu nutrition program improved children nutritional status

• Anwar F
• Khomsan A
• Sukandar D
• Riyadi H
• Mudjajanto ES

Abstract

The objective of this research was to analyze nutritional status and food consumption of children participating in the Posyandu nutrition program. A total sample of 300 children under five years had been drawn. Sample was divided into two categories namely high participation and low participation in the Posyandu nutrition program. The sample was selected from two sub districts of Cianjur District, West Java. The districts were areas with a high proportion of poor people and many of them take the benefits of Posyandu nutrition program conducted by the government. The participation of children (under five years old) in visiting Posyandus was relatively good, namely, 92.4% (for the high participation group). However, for the low participation group, the number of participating children was relatively low (28.3%). The average consumption of energy for children under five years old was still below the recommended dietary allowance < 80% of RDA, whereas the protein consumption was already above the RDA. The prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting among children were respectively 30.0%, 43.7%, and 12.3%. The activities at Posyandus had a positive impact on the nutritional status of children under five years olds, measured in terms of weight for age (W/A) and weight for height (W/H). The more frequent the visit to Posyandus, the better the nutritional statuses would be.

Keyword

Food consumption; nutritional status; children under five years

MeSH Terms

Child
Humans
Indonesia
Nutrition Policy
Nutritional Status
Prevalence
Thinness

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Percentage of underweight children based on Z-score of Weight for Age (WAZ) according to sex and participation (low vs high) at Posyandu nutrition program

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  Fig. 2 Percentage of stunted children based on Z-score of Height for Age (HAZ) according to sex and participation (low vs high) at Posyandu nutrition program

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  Fig. 3 Percentage of wasted children based on Z-score of Weight for Height (WHZ) according to sex and participation (low vs high) at Posyandu nutrition program

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