UNAIR NEWS – Stunting and malnutrition are still nutritional problems that need to be prevented. The ultimate goal is to improve children’s health in Indonesia. There are at least 1 in 3 children in Indonesia experience stunting. In an effort to reduce these nutritional problems, UNAIR lecturers and students worked together to carry out a community service activity in Gempolmanis Village, Sambeng Sub-district, Lamongan, East Java. This activity was also attended by exchange students from Management and Science University (MSU), Malaysia.
The community service activity was held on Monday, July 8, 2019, in Sambeng Community Health Center Working Area in Gempolmanis Village, Lamongan Regency. There are cases of stunting in the area. Community service is carried out by providing nutrition education and holding fish eating campaign as an effort to prevent stunting and Protein Energy Deficiency in children.
Qonita Rachmah, M.Sc (Nutr & Diet), one of the lecturers who provides nutrition education, started with a topic related to stunting or dwarfing that is prone to children due to long-term lack of nutrition and food. Then followed by tips to prevent stunting and malnutrition, such as exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, without water, starch or bananas, and other foods.
Another effort is to provide nutritious food rich in protein content beside breast milk. One type of food with high protein content, inexpensive and can be bred at home is fish.
The community service program was also held so mothers could provide fish in the children’s diet as well as educate children to like eating fish.
Trias Mahmudiono, Ph.D., a lecturer of Health Nutrition Department also said that fish is good for children because it supports children’s growth and development. Moreover, stunting can also be prevented by maintaining environmental cleanliness.
The nutrition education provided by lecturers and students was attended by 25 mothers who had toddlers. They were glad to participate in the nutrition education because they could understand the importance of fish that is rich in nutrients and Omega-3 content to prevent stunting in children and improve children’s cognitive abilities or support brain intelligence.
There are also students from MSU Malaysia who share their knowledge about the importance of Exclusive Breastfeeding which is also important in improving maternal health and preventing stunting. (*)
Author: FKM UNAIR Public Relations
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
