CORRELATION BETWEEN HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF TODDLERS IN PADANG CITY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Stunting has been a serious problem in Padang city even before the Covid-19 pandemic. The existence of a pandemic makes the situation worsen because it brings negative impacts on various sectors, including economic. This resulting in decreased purchasing power which can also lead to some adverse effects on vulnerable groups such as children under five. This study was to determine the correlation between household expenditure and nutritional status of children under five in Padang City during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study used a crosssectional study design with a sample of 90 children under five from three health Centres in Padang City, selected through proportional random sampling. HAZ was used to determine the nutritional status of children under five. The data were all collected through direct interviews using structured questionnaires and then analyzed using the Spearman correlation test. The result showed that the average total monthly household expenditure was Rp. 3,728,496. The analysis on children under five' nutritional status Showed that 23, 3 % of the children under five were stunted, while 76.7 % of them had normal HAZ. The Spearman correlation between household food expenditure and HAZ also showed the p value of 0.634 and r value of 0.051. This study concludes that there was no significant correlation between the household expenditure and the HAZ during the Covid-19 pandemic
however household which had higher expenditure also had better HAZ