MISS The effect of nutrition promotion program for children aged 2-5 years with malnutrition in Health Region 8

Abstract

This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design comparing two groups. The experimental group received a nutrition promotion program for children aged 2-5 years with malnutrition, which was developed by the researcher to fit the local context and cater to caregivers who are grandparents or elderly people. The study was conducted in Kusuman District, Sakon Nakhon Province, from November 2021 to November 2022. The sample consisted of 63 participants from Kusuman District, divided into an experimental group of 31 and a comparison group of 32, selected through simple random sampling. Data collection was performed using questionnaires, weight measurement, height measurement, and nutrition status charts for children aged 2-5 years. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, Paired t-test, and Independent t-test, with the significance level set at 0.05. The results showed that the weight and height of children in the experimental group changed significantly (P-value = 0.0003 for weight, P-value < 0.0001 for height). When comparing the nutritional status between the experimental and comparison groups, it was found that the experimental group had a significant increase in height (P-value < 0.05), but no significant difference in weight. Additionally, the knowledge of caregivers in the experimental group significantly improved (P-value < 0.0001), and the nutrition knowledge of caregivers in the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the comparison group  (P-value = 0.0035). Recommendations The findings indicate the effectiveness of the program in improving both the nutritional status of children and the nutrition knowledge of caregivers. It is recommended that the program be extended for long-term studies to evaluate its impact on other areas. Furthermore, the program should be expanded to cover a wider area and target population, with the curriculum developed to suit the specific needs of caregivers in different regions to ensure sustainable results.