The Relationship between Behavior, Maternal Education and the Prevalence of Wasting among Toddlers in Meureubo and Kaway Xvi Districts, West Aceh Regency

Wasting is a condition of acute malnutrition when there is an imbalance between body weight and height (BB/TB) and has a Z-score <-2 SD. The problem in this research is the increasing prevalence of wasting under five over the last three years in West Aceh Regency one of which is in Meureubo and Kaway Districts, direct surveys conducted by researchers in the field show that maternal education is still relatively low, knowledge is lacking, attitudes are indifferent and nutrition for toddlers is not yet met. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between maternal behavior and education with the prevalence of wasting in children under five years old in Meureubo and Kaway XVI sub-districts of West Aceh district. This study used a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design, using univariate and bivariate analysis, followed by the application of the Fisher's exact test. The total sampling used included the entire population of wasting mothers of toddlers, resulting in a total sample of 41 respondents. The findings showed a statistically significant relationship between maternal knowledge and the prevalence of wasting in children under five (P value = 0.008 ≤ 0.05). Apart from that, there is a significant relationship between mothers who have a negative attitude and the prevalence of wasting in toddlers (P value = 0.005 ≤ 0.05). Apart from that, there is a relationship between poor maternal actions and the prevalence of wasting in toddlers (P value = 0.015 ≤ 0.05). In addition, there was a correlation between maternal education level and the prevalence of wasting in children under five (P value = 0.008 ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, the analysis showed a correlation between maternal knowledge, attitude, and action, as well as a relationship between maternal education level and the prevalence of wasting in children under five years old, as evidenced by a P value ≤ α 0.05. It is recommended that health workers and other relevant stakeholders intensify efforts to socialize and educate mothers to encourage positive behavioral changes in meeting the nutritional needs of toddlers. This initiative aims to improve the nutritional status of toddlers.