The Effect of Supplementary Feeding (PMT) for Fifty-Six (56) Days on Weight Gain Among Underweight Toddlers in the Working Area of Blang Kuta Community Health Center

Abstract

Lack of access to nutritious food is a major obstacle to health development worldwide, but this problem is particularly acute in areas such as Pidie Jaya Regency, where children often suffer from malnutrition. The Supplementary Feeding Program (PMT) is one way to ensure that malnourished toddlers receive the nutrition they need, including higher intakes of calories and protein. This research intends to evaluate the impact of providing PMT for 56 days on the weight gain of undernourished toddlers within the area served by the Blang Kuta Community Health Center in the Bandar Dua District of Pidie Jaya Regency. This study employed a quantitative descriptive-analytical approach combined with a single-group pre-experimental design (pretest-posttest). Total sampling from the community was used to determine the study sample size, which consisted of 26 malnourished children who received PMT for 56 days. A significance level of 0.05 was used to evaluate the data using the Paired Sample t-Test. The study findings showed a significant change in body weight before and after PMT administration, with an average increase of 0.281 kg (p = 0.005). These findings indicate that the body weight of malnourished toddlers increased significantly after receiving PMT prepared from local food ingredients. In summary, the PMT program, when applied consistently and sustainably, plays a crucial role in improving the nutritional status of children and aids in efforts to lower malnutrition rates at the community health center level.