ANEMIA, MOTOR, LANGUAGE, SOCIAL PERSONAL DEVELOPMENTS AMONG CHILDREN UNDER TWO YEARS OLD IN RURAL AREAS, WONOSOBO, CENTRAL JAVA, INDONESIA

Background: Anemia is a condition where the hemoglobin level in the blood is lower than normal, which can be caused by malnutrition of micronutrients. Several studies that examine anemia among children under two years old, allegedly showed a negative impact on child development. This study aimed to determine the relationship between anemia and developmental status among children under two years old. Subjects and Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Wonosobo Regency, Central Java, in 2019. A total of 290 children under two years old was selected for this study. The dependent variables were motor development, language development, and social personal development. The independent variable was anemia. The data of anemia was based on the results of hemoglobin levels examination using the Hemocue technique. The measurement of developmental status was measured using Developmental Milestone Checklist II. The data were analyzed using Chi-square test. Results: Most of the children under two years old had anemia (69.3%), experienced motor development problems (27.6%); language development barrier (11.0%), and experiencing barriers to personal social development (68.3%). This study showed that anemia was not related with motor development, language development, and social personal development, and there were not statistically significant. Conclusion: There is no relationship between anemia among children under two years old and the three aspects of child development in Wonosobo Regency, Central Java, Indonesia Keywords: anemia, development, children, children under two years old Correspondence: Hadi Ashar. Research and Development Center for Health Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. Email: hdi.gaki@gmail.com