Relationship Between Maternal Knowledge and Attitudes About Food Management with The Incidence of Diarrhea in Toddlers

Abstract

The number of cases of diarrhea in children under five in Padang City has increased from 866 cases in 2020 to 906 cases in 2021. Andalas Health Center is the health center with the highest number of cases of diarrhea in children under five in Padang City in 2021, namely 129 cases. If a toddler has diarrhea, the actions taken by the mother determine the course of the disease, one of which is determined by the mother's knowledge and attitude. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between maternal knowledge and attitudes about food management with the incidence of diarrhea in toddlers in the Andalas Puskesmas Working Area, Padang City in 2023. This type of research is quantitative with an analytic approach and cross sectional research design. This research was conducted in March-August 2023. The population in this study were all mothers who had toddlers with a sample size of 96 respondents. The sampling technique used was accidental sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire. Data analysis was performed univariate and bivariate with chi square statistical test. The results showed that 65.6% of toddlers experienced diarrhea, 47.9% of respondents had low knowledge and 44.8% of respondents with negative attitudes about food management. Based on bivariate analysis showed a significant relationship between knowledge (p=0.000) and attitude (p=0.022) with the incidence of diarrhea in toddlers. The incidence of diarrhoea in toddlers is influenced by several factors, namely maternal knowledge and attitudes. It is recommended for Andalas Health Center to be able to provide counseling about diarrhoea and conduct socialisation about food management in mothers and for mothers who have toddlers can participate in attending counseling about diarrhoea.