PENGARUH KELOMPOK PENDUKUNG (KP) IBU TERHADAP PENGETAHUAN DAN PERILAKU IBU DALAM PEMBERIAN ASI DAN MP ASI SERTA STATUS GIZI BALITA 6-24 BULAN

Background: Nutrition has a major role in human life cycle. Undernourishment in infants and children can cause growth and development disorders. When the problem is not resolved, it may persist in adulthood period. Breastfeeding also plays an important role in the development of human quality. As infants grow, they need more nutrients. Therefore at the age of 6 months, apart from breast milk infants needs complementary breastfeeding until the age of 24 months. An effort that can be made to increase nutrition in infants of 0-24 months is improving community behavior in the supplementation of food for children that may be a part of major effort to improve nutrition. Objective: To find out the influence of support group of mothers to knowledge and behavior of mothers in breastfeeding and complementary breastfeeding and nutrition status of children of 6-24 months. Method: The study used both qualitative through interview and quantitative methods as well as cross sectional design. It was carried out at Kasihan and Banguntapan Health Center, District of Bantul. Subject consisted of 81 children of 6-24 months. Collected data included identity of respondents, knowledge and behavior of mothers in breastfeeding and complementary breastfeeding, anthropometric and food intake data of the subject. Research instruments consisted of questionnaire, weight and height scale. Results: Score of knowledge on breastfeeding in mothers of the support group in average was higher than in those of the non support group (p<0.05). Score of knowledge on complementary breastfeeding differed between the support group and the non support group (p<0.05). Average score of behavior of mothers in breastfeeding and complementary breastfeeding showed no difference between the support group and the non support group (p>0.05). Average intake of energy between the support group and the non support group differed significantly (p<0.05). Average score of protein intake of the support group was higher than the non support group (p<0.05). There was no difference in nutrition status between the support group and the non support group (p>0.05). Conclusion: There was influence of the support group to knowledge of mothers in breastfeeding and complementary breastfeeding, energy intake and protein intake. There was no influence of the support group to behavior of mothers and nutrition status of children