1Doctoral Student of Medicine Faculty of Udayana University
2Lecturer of Nutrition Department, Polytechnic of Health, Denpasar
3Center of Early Childhood Program and Education of Bali Province
Chronic malnutrition is caused by poverty, improper care, and parents’ ignorance of the nutritional needs of children. Providing a balanced menu is a kind of solution that can be applied to overcome nutritional problems in children. Balanced nutrition services are carried out in early childhood to improve children's nutritional status. This research was conducted in Bangli District, Gianyar Regency, and Denpasar City, using a randomized pre and posttest control group design with a total sample of 88 children (38 controls and 50 intervention groups). Nutritional status was assessed by comparing weight with age using anthropometric standards based on Z-Score. The results of this study indicate that the intervention group experienced a decrease in the number of children with less weight (25.00%) and an increase in the number of children with good nutritional status (2.22%), while in the control group there was no change in nutritional status.. The results of the independent sample t test showed that there were significant differences in the pre-data in the control group and intervention (p <0.05) while the post-data showed no significant differences (p> 0.05). Analysis of differences in body weight in the control and intervention groups showed that there were significant differences (p <0.05). Balanced nutrition services in early childhood can significantly improve their nutritional status.
Balanced nutrition services, early childhood, nutritional status
