Folia Medica Indonesiana
ISSN 0303-7932
Vol. 39 / No. 4 / Published : 2003-10
Order : 10, and page :259 - 263
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Original Article :
The attitude improvement among community health center staff in managing the risk and resolving malnutrition in underfives by using estimation score
Author :
- Sri Umijati*1
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Airlangga University School of Medicine
Abstract :
Malnutrition in underfives that increase rapidly can be a problem for the quality of human resource. Among the confounding variables that have influence on malnutrition in underfives, community health center plays an important role in alleviating such negative effect by detecting and eradicating malnutrition as early as possible. However, so far, this basic health service has not showed a satisfactory performance. A tool, called malnutrition estimation score, was created and expected to be able to help the community health center staffs to detect and give early solution to overcome malnutrition in underfives. With the cut-off point of 1.75 this score has 89.9% sensitivity and 44.9% specificity. The presence of the category of malnutrition emergency in this estimation score can also be used to detect health service staff's attitude in managing the risk and resolving malnutrition in underfives. An objective quantitative assessment within the category makes this score easier to use than other estimation tools. Therefore, this score can be used as the strategy in approaching the risk of malnutrition in underfives through improvement of health service staff's attitude. This study using one group pre- and post-test research was aimed to prove that by using this malnutrition estimation score, there can be an improvement of community health center staffs' attitude in managing the risk and resolving malnutrition among underfives. Population and samples were selected based on a high prevalence of malnutrition in underfives. This study was carried out at the District of Sidoarjo, involving 9 health centers in Prambon, Tarik, Gedangan, Sukodono, Taman, Krembung, Porong, Buduran, dan Sidoarjo town as samples. Results of behavioral development in 54 staff from those health centers were as follows: 79.4% of staff had formal education for 12 years (midwifery education), 54.4% with working period from 5 to 10 years, and 48.5 % of the staff were 31 - 40 years old. The knowledge of the health staffs, who had been intervened, showed that there was a significant difference in mean (p = 0.009). This result shows that this estimation score had a positive influence on the knowledge of the health staff. Their knowledge on underfives nutritional status after receiving intervention, showed significant difference (p = 0.000), indicating that the estimation score is affecting the knowledge of the staff on underfives nutritional status. Their knowledge on the risk or malnutrition in underfives, after being intervened, also showed significant difference (p = 0.000), showing that the estimation score is affecting the risk of malnutrition in underfives. In general, the health staff attitude in managing and resolving malnutrition atthe beginning of this research showed no difference from that at the end of the research (p = 0.08). This means that by the use of this tool, there had been no changing in the health staffs' attitude in the management and risk of malnutrition. Age, education and the working period generally had no influence on the knowledge on the management of malnutrition eradication program, knowledge of malnutrition, and the attitude of health staffs in facing and managing the malnutrition due to less varied samples. Simple scoring tool can be used to overcome their problems and to obtain a more proper staff placement. Finally, the score can improve the staff's attitude, particularly on their knowledge on malnutrition eradicating program in underfives (p < 0.05). It can also be used for screening test to monitor malnutrition. However, further studies are needed to find whether the score can improve or change their attention (attitude) on the eradication of malnutrition.
Keyword :
estimation score, malnutrition, risk, underfives, improvement,
References :
Green LW,(1990) Modifying and Developing Health Behaviour in : Greenwald P, Ershaw AG, and Novelli WD (eds). Cancer, Diet and Nutrition : A Comprehensive Source Book Marquis Chicago : Who's Who Inc.
Call, David L and James Levinson,(1971) A Systemic Approach to Nutrition Interventions Programs, Proc. International Conference Nutrition Rev. Planning Cambridge, Massachusetts : The Mit Press
Archive Article
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 Volume : 39 / No. : 4 / Pub. : 2003-10 |
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