Associations between Maternal Knowledge of Nutrition, Socio Economic, and Child Underweight in Dry Land Islands

Background: The problem of food security depends on food availability, food access, and food utilization. Community access is also a factor in food insecurity along with the high poverty rate of an area. The village of Bokong is one of the villages with the majority of poor families. This causes people's purchasing power to food and access to infrastructure to be still lacking. This study aimed to determine the relationship between family socio¬economic factors and nutritional status of children under five. Subjects and Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. A sample of 39 poor households was selected randomly. The dependent variable was nutrition status. The independent variables were education, family size, food cost expenditure, and non food cost expenditure. The data were analyzed using OR and chi-square. Results: Extended family (OR= 9.69; 95% CI= 0.99 to 46.44; p= 0.020) was associated with an increased risk of underweight. Higher education level (OR= 0.14; 95% CI= 0.01 to 0.93; p= 0.016), higher food expenditure (OR= 0.12; 95% CI= 0.12 to 0.75; p= 0.070), higher non-food expenditure (OR= 0.18; 95% CI= 0.02 to 1.15.; p= 0.035) were associated with a reduced risk of underweight. Conclusion: Extended family increases the risk of underweight. Higher education, higher food expenditure, and higher non-food expenditure reduce the risk of underweight. Keywords: socio-economic, nutritional knowledge, underweight, children Correspondence: Anna Henny Talahatu. Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Undana, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. Email: annatalahatu@staf.undana.ac.id. Mobile: +62 85214252858