Child Growth and Nutritional Balance – CIMSA-Indonesia

Name of the activity: Child Growth and Nutritional Balance

Country/NMO: CIMSA-Indonesia

Program: Healthy Lifestyles & Non-Communicable Diseases

Contact information: contact [email protected] to get in touch with the Activity Coordinator

Type of the activity: Continuous Activity

Category: Education

Focus area: Children & healthy habits

Sustainable Development Goals addressed: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being)

General description:

DIY Province reported to have a lower child development index compared to the national average. This activity aims to raise awareness of Healthcare Center’s cadres and parents about child growth and development issues. It consists of measuring children’s growth and development at 4 Healthcare Centers at Yogyakarta, marking children who have a tendency for growth and development disorders, providing education to the mothers, and following up the child’s growth and development.

Problem statement:

Yogyakarta has a high social inequality rate and a lower child development index compared to the national average. Gondokusuman sub-district has the second highest prevalence of malnutrition in region Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY). Based on recommendations from the DIY Health Office and primary data validated by RSD CIMSA UGM, 4 Health Centers in Gondokusuman District were finally determined as community targets with a total target of 92 parents with toddlers and 8 cadres.

Target groups:

• Children
• Youth
• Women

Beneficiaries:

• Children
• Youth
• Women

Objectives:

Empowering Medical Students

1. Empowering CIMSA members as volunteers in programs that intersect with target population communities, namely children under 6 years old with socioeconomic backgrounds that tend to be uniform
2. Increase CIMSA members’ understanding of normal growth and development in children and its application to society
3. Training volunteer skills in good community development-based activities in an effort to improve public health, especially children under six years old
4. Train volunteer skills in conducting medical examinations as a basic provision for patient examination skills

Indicators of Success:

1. Educate at least 70 parents in the community regarding child nutrition problems (stunting, wasting, and underweight) in children aged 0-6 years through hybrid educational sessions
2. Increased awareness and knowledge of parents and cadres regarding child growth and development as measured by the average post-test score after attending educational sessions by 60%
3. Increased volunteer knowledge of child growth and development as measured by an average post-test score after pre-intervention training of 70%
4. Data obtained from growth and development screening results from 60-100 children aged 0-6 years
5. Establishing a health system in the community by doing regular follow-ups every 3 months

Methodology:

We have organized our first intervention and its follow-up and both were carried out during the pandemic. For the first intervention in March 2021, volunteers from CIMSA UGM members conducted screening guided by the SDIDTK (Stimulasi, Deteksi dan lntervensi Dini Tumbuh Kembang Anak) book and plotting anthropometric data taken by cadres to the WHO growth curve. After that, volunteers also conduct education related to child growth and development, nutritional balance, and the importance of immunization of children to parents. The implementation of bonding, screening, and education is carried out online with WhatsApp chat / video call intermediaries. After intervention 1, follow-up was carried out in the form of child development screening using a questionnaire, plotting child anthropometric data every month, and interpretation. On January 30, 2022, we implemented its second intervention aimed at providing education on child growth, development, and nutritional balance to the community.

Plans for evaluation:

Evaluation using pre-test & post-test and intervention evaluation forms targeted to be filled out by external partners (if any), OC, and the community.

Follow up method:

1. Providing periodic education through WhatsApp groups carried out at a time close to the monitoring time (point 2)
2. Monitoring mothers whose children are suspected of stunting in March/April 2022
3. Update anthropometric data for children at least once every 3 months.
4. Filling out child development screening instruments (KPSP or other instruments) by volunteers

External collaborations:

1. Capella Project Foundation as organizer and contact person to Puskesmas
2. University of Melbourne Student Grants as a grant provider and assists in finding doctor resource persons for pre-activity webinars and training
3. Chef Leona Victoria as cooking demo instructor