The effect of food supplementation on nutritional status of severemalnourishment children aged 12-59 months in Sleman District, Yogyakarta Special Region

Abstract

Malnutrition and malnourishment are still big problems among children in Indonesia. Age between
12 to 59 months is the most important and critical time periods for the physical and intelligence
development of children. Therefore, the children should obtain a good health care and nutrition
according to their needs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of food
supplementation on the nutritional status of children in Sleman District, Yogyakarta Special
Region. This was a quasi experimental study involving 60 severe malnourishment children between
the age of 12-59 months from Sayegan Sub Districts. Body weight and height of the children
were measured before and after food supplementation. Food supplements were given for 100
days. The outcome of this study was the change of nutritional status based on Z-score according
to the Ministry of Health classification adopted from WHO-NCHS (World Health Organization-
US National Center for Health Statistics) recommendations. According to Z score for weight-forage
(WAZ), the food supplementation did not improve the nutritional status of children. Although
the nutritional status of 25.87% children increased and the mean of WAZ significantly increased
1.04 to be -3.29 after supplementation (p<0.05), the mean of nutritional status of the children
was still the worst (WAZ <-3SD). According to Z score height-for-age (HAZ), food
supplementation did not improve nutritional status of the children either. The mean of HAZ
before food supplementation (-2.53) was not signifantly different compared to after food
supplementation (-2.45). Moreover, mean of nutritional status of the children after food
supplementation was still short (HAZ <-2SD). According to Z score weight-for-height (WHZ),
food supplementation improved the nutritional status in 86.21% children. The mean of WHZ
significantly increased 1.13 from -3.35 to be -2.22 after food supplementation (p<0.05) indicating
the change of nutritional status from wasted (WHZ <-3SD) to thin (WHZ <-2SD to -3SD). In
conclusion, food supplementation on children aged 12-59 months succeeds to improve their
nutritional status according to WHZ.

Keywords: poor family - nutritional status - children - severe malnourishment - Z-score