Evaluation of Perception and Preference of Milk Consumption Among Elementary School Age Children in Low Income Household

Abstract

This exploratory research was intended to assess (1) perception and preference of children and mother in low-income household in urban and rural area toward drinking milk (2) identify key factors in increasing children milk consumption. The research was conducted in Gadjah Wong urban communities in Umbulharjo Subdistrict, Yogyakarta City and Candibinangun in Pakem Subdistrict, Sleman Regency which were two villages with the highest number of low-income family. Data were collected with questionnaires to measure perceptions and preference of respondents, who are mothers and elementary school-aged children. The results showed that in regard of perception to the milk’s health benefit, 96.40% of respondents agreed that the while 3.60% disagreed. Then, 80.10% of children agreed that the consumption of milk could prevent them from being sick while 19.90% disagreed. However only 60.60% of children admitted they like to consume milk as oppose to the other 23.30% that claimed they dislike to consume milk. Children’s perception and the level of likeness didn’t significantly create an incentive for children to save up their pocket money to buy milk in both urban and rural area. On the other hand, according to the result of Chi-square assessment, mothers’ perception in regard to sufficiency of milk consumption was the contributing factor to the frequency of milk consumption for children in urban and rural areas (p≤0,001). Mothers’ role in determining children’s level amount of milk consumption was significant only in rural area, (p≤0,05). However, mothers’ ability to determine the level of children’s consumption it is still contingent upon the provision and allocation of cash for household needs. Thus, in low income family not only mother but father should be included as a target audience in milk consumption promoting the program