Cadres Outreach Program to Mothers Improve Nutritional Status of Under Two Year Old Children

After exclusive breastfeeding, period, complementary feeding is the key elements for under two year old children growth. The lack of nutritious complementary feeding can result in growth failure. This research aimed to improve the nutritional status of under two children through cadres outreach to mothers in providing nutritious complementary food. This quasy experimental study was done at the working area of Puskesmas Genuk, Semarang City, Indonesia. Forty pairs of mother-children under-two in each of two neighborhood area were recruited in the study, as the intervention and control groups. Thirty four pairs in the intervention group, and 32 pairs in the control group finished the study. Ten cadres were trained in providing nutritious complementary feeding foods practices for under-two children. Every cadre outreached 2 mothers in the intervention group for two month period. Data collection was conducted by interviews using structured questionnaires. Weight measurements were done at baseline and at the end of the study. Preceding the study, the average age, weight, WAZ (weight for age Z scores), breastfed status, socioeconomic status between the groups were comparable, but not for gender. There were higher weight changes (0.4 ± 0.31 vs 0.2 ± 0.19) kg and WAZ (0.1 ± 0.95 vs-0.2 ± 0.18) in the intervention compared to the control group. After controlled for gender, WAZ change was still better in the intervention group. There was no difference in mothers’ knowledge on nutrition, but there were better attitude toward nutritious feeding practice, better food preparation sanitation and feeding practice scores in the intervention group after two months. It was concluded that cadres’ outreach to the mothers for two months increased growth of under two year old children through a better complementary feeding practice and food preparation sanitation.