The Provision of Carrot Catfish Dumplings Affects the Weight of Elementary School Students with Low Nutritional Status

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A good nutritional status will improve health for average growth and physical development, and intelligence. The prevalence of schoolchildren (5–12 years) with malnutrition status based on brachial fat area is 11.2%, and the number of elementary schoolchildren with malnutrition status in Cibereum village is 107 students. The government has a School Child Supplement Program to meet schoolchildren’s dietary needs. It is necessary to have additional food for schoolchildren to improve their nutritional status, especially for students with low nutritional quality. AIM: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of carrot catfish dumplings on the bodyweight of elementary school students with poor nutritional status as a form of supplementary food for schoolchildren. METHODS: Researchers conducted this study in January 2020 at Elementary Schools at the Cibereum Health Center (SDN Cibeureum 5, Cibeureum 7, and Cibereum Mandiri 2) with a sample of 25 people. The research design used is quasi-experimental using one-group pretest-posttest and statistical tests using the Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: The research test results showed that carrot catfish dumplings affected elementary school students’ body weight with low nutritional status. CONCLUSION: Carrot catfish dumplings can increase students’ energy intake and protein intake so that there is an increase in the average body weight of the sample by 0.55 kg. Suggestions for further research to conduct a similar study using a control group as the comparison group.