More Than Just Food: Exploring Cultural, Emotional, And Practical Realities of Complementary Feeding in Wasted Children

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of stunting in Indonesia has decreased, but there is an increase in wasting cases. Children who experience wasting have a 3 times higher risk of becoming stunted compared to children with normal nutritional status. Wasting is not only caused by a lack of food intake, but also influenced by various factors. This study aims to explore the practice of complementary feeding from various aspects from the perspective of mothers who have wasting children.

Method: In-depth interviews (IDI) were conducted with 16 parents of children aged 6-24 months with wasting nutritional status in 4 areas in Sleman Regency. The triangulation method was conducted by interviewing the family, including husband and grandmother, and health cadres.

Result: There were four main themes influencing complementary feeding practices, namely:               1) Cultural aspects including traditions, perceptions of food, and family roles; 2) Emotional and psychological aspects such as maternal rejection or acceptance of wasting; 3) Practical realities, including access to food ingredients and mother's time; and 4) Maternal nutrition understanding and experience with educational programs. Mothers who accepted their child's wasting condition were more open to education and tended to make changes to their complementary feeding practices.

Conclusion: Addressing wasting cannot be done solely with nutritional interventions, but requires an approach that considers the cultural, emotional, and practical context faced by mothers. Empathetic and contextualized nutrition education is key to saving children from wasting that progresses to stunting.