FOOD SECURITY IN FAMILIES OF STUNTING AND NON-STUNTING TODDLERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN PALEMBANG, INDONESIA

Abstract

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people's purchasing power and caused households to experience food insecurity. This has led to the disruption of the family food diversity and inadequate nutrition, which is a risk factor for stunting in toddlers. Therefore, this research aims to determine the description of food security in the families of stunting and non-stunting toddlers using a quantitative descriptive approach with a cross-sectional design. The sample included the population of all toddlers (74) aged 6-59 months in Seberang Ulu I sub-district, Palembang city that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Meanwhile, the inclusion criteria were single birth and last child, while the exclusion included moved domicile mothers that were not willing to become respondents. Food security data were collected through interviews using the Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) questionnaire and nutritional status of toddlers based on body height or length according to age. The data obtained were presented in form of narratives, tables, and graphs through univariate analysis. The results showed that the proportion of stunting toddlers is mostly common in families with food insecurity. The proportion of food insecure families was higher than food secure families in low-income families. Food insecurity experienced by households can caused a lack of diversity of food consumed by children under five. Therefore, there is a need to increase mothers' knowledge on the fulfillment of balanced nutrition in toddlers through monthly visits to the Integrated Healthcare Center.