Using Bubble Score Chart as the Main Media in Nutrition Education to Improve Mothers Knowledge and Child Weight Gain in Deli Serdang Distric, Indonesia

Abstract

Introduction: Growth chart is an essential tool in growth monitoring program for malnutrition prevention among children. The United Nations states that the prevalence of  malnutrition  is one of the indicator for monitoring of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), therefore the function of growth chart needs to be strengthened. However, reports  from several countries indicate poor use of growth chart by mothers and health workers. A simple and informative growth chart is currently needed to be used as educational tool for mothers to easily comprehend their children’s growth. The objective of study is to investigate the impact of nutrition education using bubble score chart on mothers’ knowledge and child weight.

Materials & Methods : Mothers in intervention group received nutrition educationand use bubble score chart. Mothers in control group did not received nutrition education but use the normal growth chart. To measure the knowledge level, sixteen written questions were designed and tested. Participants included 107 mothers  consisted of 54 mothers in intervention group and 53 mothers in control group. The study was a quasy experimental with the non equivalent control group design approach. Results : Before intervention, there was no significant difference of mothers’ knowledge, comprehension and application(p>0.05) and child weight (p>0.05) between intervention and control group. After interventions, there was significantly different of high knowledge (86% vs 54% ); high comprehension (78% vs 46% ) and  high application (88% vs 52%, p<0.01) respectively for intervention and control groups. Children aged 9-12 months were more vulnerable to low weight gain (9.55±0.69 vs 8.48±1.15kg, p<0.05) respectively for intervention and control groups. Conclusions : Nutrition education using bubbles score chart  effectively improved  mothers’ nutrition knowledge and child weight gain.

Key words : Bubble Score Chart, Nutrition Knowledge, Child Weight Gain