Hubungan Picky Eating dengan Status Gizi Balita di Wilayah Kerja UPTD Puskesmas Wanaraya

Abstract

Nutritional problems among toddlers remain a public health concern because they can adversely affect growth and development. One factor hypothesized to be associated with nutritional status is picky eating, defined as selective eating behavior and refusal of certain foods, resulting in an imbalance between dietary intake and nutritional requirements. This study aimed to examine the association between picky eating and nutritional status among toddlers in the catchment area of Public Health Center of Wanaraya. A cross-sectional design was employed with a sample of 30 toddlers aged 12–59 months drawn from a population of 483 toddlers using accidental sampling. Data were collected using the Food Fussiness subscale (items 19–21) of the Children’s Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) and anthropometric measurements. Results indicated that 17 of 30 toddlers (56.7%) were classified as picky eaters, and all 17 exhibited abnormal nutritional status. The chi-square test yielded p = 0.012, indicating a statistically significant association between picky eating and nutritional status among toddlers. These findings underscore the need to address children’s eating behaviors in interventions designed to prevent nutritional problems in this age group.