Search Repository Universitas Baiturrahim

Masa balita merupakan periode emas (golden age) yang menentukan kualitas tumbuh
kembang anak di masa depan, sehingga memerlukan pemenuhan gizi yang optimal.
Pengetahuan ibu tentang gizi meliputi pemahaman mengenai kebutuhan zat gizi
balita. Pengetahuan ini berperan penting dalam menentukan pola asuh makan dan
penerapan pola makan seimbang. Kurangnya pengetahuan dapat menyebabkan
kesalahan dalam pemberian makanan, misalnya pemberian makanan tidak sesuai usia
atau minim variasi protein, yang berdampak pada status gizi kurang, seperti stunting
maupun wasting. Data Survei Kesehatan Indonesia (SKI) tahun 2023 menunjukkan
prevalensi stunting di Indonesia sebesar 21,5% dengan tren peningkatan wasting.
Kondisi ini menandakan masih banyak balita yang belum mendapatkan gizi sesuai
kebutuhan. Kabupaten Ogan Komering Ulu merupakan salah satu wilayah dengan
lokus stunting, sehingga penelitian mengenai faktor pengetahuan ibu sangat relevan
dilakukan. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui hubungan pengetahuan ibu tentang
gizi dengan status gizi balita di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Mendingin Kabupaten Ogan
Komering Ulu. Desain penelitian menggunakan deskriptif analitik dengan pendekatan
cross-sectional. Populasi penelitian adalah seluruh ibu yang memiliki balita di Desa
Beladang, Desa Gunung Tiga, dan Desa Sukajadi sebanyak 180 orang. Sampel
penelitian berjumlah 64 orang, ditentukan melalui rumus Slovin dengan teknik
accidental sampling. Instrumen penelitian berupa kuesioner yang telah teruji validitas
dan reliabilitasnya. Analisis data dilakukan dengan uji Chi-Square. Hasil penelitian
menunjukkan pengetahuan ibu dengan kategori baik sebanyak 47 responden (73,4%)
dan kategori kurang 17 responden (26,6%). Status gizi balita kategori normal
sebanyak 57 balita (89,1%) dan kategori kurang 7 balita (10,9%). Uji Chi-Square
menunjukkan terdapat hubungan signifikan antara pengetahuan ibu dengan status gizi
balita (p = 0,004). Penelitian ini menegaskan bahwa peningkatan pengetahuan ibu
melalui edukasi gizi sangat penting untuk mencegah stunting. Disarankan ibu balita
lebih aktif mencari informasi gizi seimbang, memanfaatkan layanan konseling di
puskesmas, serta menerapkan pola makan bervariasi sesuai kebutuhan usia anak.

The toddler period is a golden age that determines the quality of a child's future growth
and development, thus requiring optimal nutritional fulfillment. A mother's knowledge
about nutrition includes an understanding of the nutritional needs of toddlers. This
knowledge plays a crucial role in determining feeding practices and the implementation
of a balanced diet. Lack of knowledge can lead to errors in feeding, such as providing
age-inappropriate food or minimal protein variety, which impacts poor nutritional
status, such as stunting and wasting. Data from the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey
(SKI) showed a stunting prevalence of 21.5% in Indonesia with an increasing trend in
wasting. This condition indicates that many toddlers still do not receive nutrition
according to their needs. Ogan Komering Ulu Regency is one of the areas with a
stunting locus, making research on the factor of maternal knowledge highly relevant.
This study aims to determine the relationship between mother's knowledge about
nutrition and the nutritional status of toddlers in the working area of the Mendingin
Community Health Center, Ogan Komering Ulu Regency. The research design used
was descriptive analytic with a cross-sectional approach. The study population was all
mothers who have toddlers in Beladang Village, Gunung Tiga Village, and Sukajadi
Village, totaling 180 people. The research sample amounted to 64 people, determined
through the Slovin formula with an accidental sampling technique. The research
instrument was a questionnaire that had been tested for validity and reliability. Data
analysis was performed using the Chi-Square test. The results showed that 47
respondents (73.4%) had good knowledge and 17 respondents (26.6%) had poor
knowledge. The nutritional status of toddlers was categorized as normal in 57 toddlers
(89.1%) and poor in 7 toddlers (10.9%). The Chi-Square test showed a significant
relationship between mother's knowledge and the nutritional status of toddlers
(p=0.004). This study confirms that increasing maternal knowledge through nutritional
education is very important to prevent stunting. It is recommended that mothers of
toddlers actively seek information about balanced nutrition, utilize counseling services
at the community health center, and implement a varied diet according to the child's
age needs.