Parents’ Feeding Style on the Adequacy of Energy and Protein in Children with Stunted Nutritional Status

Abstract

Stunting in children occurs within a certain time; its incidence is closely related to the quantity and quality of food intake, especially the adequacy of energy and protein. Parents with various models of feeding style influence the fulfilment of food intake in children. This study was conducted to analyze the correlation of feeding style with adequate energy and protein levels in stunted children aged 6-9 years. The design in this study was cross-sectional in 91 stunted children aged 6-9 years at West Ungaran, Semarang, who was selected by consecutive sampling. The data was collected using anthropometric measurements and parental feeding style, and the data were analyzed using the Spearman rank test. Parents feeding style was authoritative (37.2%), authoritarian (13.2%), permissive (20.9%), and neglect (28.6%). The highest energy adequacy level in children was found in parents with neglect feeding style in the deficit category (73.1%). Children’s highest protein adequacy level was found in parents with authoritative feeding styles, in the over the category (50.0%). Parental feeding style correlated with the adequacy of energy and protein levels in children and impacted the incidence of stunting in children aged 6-9 years.