Nutrition Counseling toward Knowledge and Attitude of Breastfeeding Mothers and Infant Growth in Lubuk Pakam Subdistrict
Abstract: To implement
exclusive breastfeeding program, breastfeeding mothers should have a good
knowledge. One way to gain knowledge is by providing nutritional counseling.
This study aimed to determine the effect of nutrition counseling toward
exclusive breastfeeding and nutritional status toward the knowledge and attitude
of breastfeeding mothers in Lubuk Pakam Subdistrict Primary Health Care. This
study was a quasi experimental with non-equivalent control group design.
Samples of 60 mothers were divided into two groups that were 30 mothers who
received intensive nutrition counseling at the intervention group in Lubuk
Pakam Primary Health Care work area and 30 mothers at control group in Tanjung
Morawa Primary Health Care work area. The intervention group was given
nutrition counseling intervention for three months provided in three sessions.
The study was conducted in March-August 2016. The statistical analysis used
t-test. The results showed that before intervention, knowledge and attitude in
both groups did not differ consecutively with p value = 0.290 and p value =
0.658, after intervention both knowledge and behavior were significantly
different p value = 0.000. While the average weight gain in infants in the
first month was 1.25 kg in intervention group, 1.19 kg in control group , and
in the second month was 1,44 kg in intervention group and 1 kg in control
group. Paired tests show that there is effect of nutritional counseling toward
knowledge and attitude in the intervention group.
Keywords: Attitude, growth,
knowledge, nutrition counseling
Author: Herta Masthalina, Zein
Agustina
Journal Code: jpkesmasgg180001
