Relationship Between Mothers' Knowledge and Parenting Patterns in Feeding and The Incidence of Wasting in Toddlers Aged 6-59 Months

Abstract

Wasting  is an acute form of malnutrition among children under five that remains a significant public health problem in Indonesia. This condition is influenced by several factors, including maternal knowledge and child feeding practices. This study aimed to determine the relationship between maternal knowledge and feeding practices with the incidence of Wasting  among children aged 6–59 months in Panawakan Village, the working area of Puskesmas Haur Gading in 2026. This study was a quantitative cross-sectional design. A total of 99 respondents were drawn from the sample. Data collected included respondent characteristics, maternal knowledge, parenting practices regarding feeding, and the incidence of Wasting  in toddlers. Data were analyzed using univariate tests with frequency tables and bivariate tests using the Spearman Rank correlation test with a significance level of 0.05. The results showed that the majority of toddlers did not experience Wasting  (73.7%), while 26.3% experienced Wasting . Most mothers had sufficient knowledge (46.5%) and poor parenting practices (46.5%). Spearman's test results showed a relationship between maternal knowledge and Wasting  (p = 0.000; r = 0.373) and between maternal feeding practices and Wasting  (p = 0.003; r = 0.299). It is recommended that mothers of toddlers improve their nutritional knowledge and implement appropriate feeding practices to prevent Wasting  in toddlers.