BACKGROUND: Fruit and vegetable consumption among preschool children in Indonesia is lower than recommendations, which may be due to types of food availability at home and unhealthy feeding practices such as restriction and parent pressure. Providing nutrition education through booklets and counseling on healthy food (fruit and vegetable) consumption can help to provide information to parent’s thus resulting healthy behavior, compared to merely providing booklets without counseling. AIM: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of nutrition education using booklets with counseling versus without counseling on home food availability and parent feeding practices in preschool children. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study utilized a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. Sampling methods included both purposive sampling and simple random sampling. Purposive sampling was used to select Danurejan district as the sub-district with the highest obesity percentage in Yogyakarta Municipality. Meanwhile, simple random sampling was applied to select children and schools (Early Childhood Education Program Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini [PAUD] or kindergartens Taman Kanak-kanak [TK]). There were 56 people (28 intervention and 28 controls) taken from 4 PAUD/TK. The intervention group received nutrition education using booklets as well as one 30–60 min counseling session carried out at the participant’s home. The control group was provided with booklets, but did not receive counseling. The pre-test was carried out before nutrition education was given, and the post-test was conducted 30 days after the nutrition education. Fruit and vegetable availability at home were assessed using questionnaire, and parent feeding practices were assessed using the Comprehensive Food Feeding Questionnaire. The statistical tests used to assess outcomes between groups included pair t-test, Wilcoxon, Mann–Whitney, and independent t-test. RESULTS: There were increase in healthy eating guidance and monitoring before and after nutrition education was provided in the intervention group (p = 0.00; p < 0.05), but no differences were found in restriction, child control, and parent pressure (p = 0.11, p = 0.48, p = 0.28; p ≥ 0.05). There was a decrease in child control behavior before and after nutrition education in the control group (p = 0.00; p < 0.05), but there were no differences in healthy eating guidance, monitoring, restriction, and parent pressure (p = 0.17, p = 0.18, p = 0.53, 0.62; p ≥ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate that using counseling in addition to nutrition education booklets can increase mother’s implementation use of healthy eating guidance and monitoring, with the potential to promote healthy weight within families.

Background: Stunting is impaired growth and development that children experience, caused by poor nutrition during 1000 days of life. Dietary diversity is one of the core indicators for assessing diet quality and adequacy of complementary feeding.Objectives: This study aimed to analyzed the relationship between dietary diversity and stunting among children aged 8-23 months in Pajangan District, Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta.Methods: This was a quantitative observational cross-sectional study. Purposive random sampling was used to recruit a total of 167 children aged 8-23 months with their mothers/ caregivers as respondents. Individual dietary diversity was assessed by minimum dietary diversity with the consumption of 5 or more food groups of the total 7 food groups. Logistic regression, chi-square test, and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis.Results: Results showed that prevalence of stunting was 32.3% and 54.5% of children did not meet the minimum dietary diversity. There was a significant relationship between dietary diversity on complementary feeding and stunting (p=0.005, OR=2.558; 95%CI= 1.422-4.142). Furthermore, other factors related to dietary diversity were child’s age, mother's employment status, father's education, father’s employment, and family income.Conclusions: There was a relationship between dietary diversity and stunting among children aged 8-23 months in Pajangan District, Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta. Strategy to improve dietary diversity on complementary feeding are needed to prevent child malnutrition. KEYWORDS: complementary feeding; dietary diversity; stunting

This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on food group consumption of complementary feeding in Indonesia. Data were collected using online self-administered questionnaires on Indonesian mothers of children aged 6–23 months. The result showed that households with decreased ability to provide food during the COVID-19 pandemic tended to choose unhealthy food groups on complementary feeding. There were higher odds of unhealthy food consumption, such as sweetened beverages, including fruit juice (OR=3.181; 95% CI:1.788−5.657) and homemade drink with sweeteners (OR=1.652; 95% CI:1.034−2.641); sugar confection (OR=2.066; 95% CI:1.240−3.444); frozen treats (OR=2.270; 95% CI:1.400−3.681), baked or fried confection (OR=2.154; 95% CI:1.435−3.235); fried and salty foods (OR=1.633; 95% CI:1.059−2.517). Meanwhile, the odds of food group consumption which lower during COVID-19 pandemic mostly are animal source foods group, including yogurt (OR=0.297; 95% CI:0.161−0.548); yogurt drink (OR=0.253; 95% CI:0.138−0.464); cheese (OR=0.355; 95% CI:0.230−0.549); eggs (OR=0.675; 95% CI:0.461−0.991); fish or seafood (OR=0.409; 95% CI:0.279−0.600); organ meats (OR=0.304; 95% CI:0.180−0.512); meats (OR=0.339; 95% CI:0.225−0.511); and poultry (OR=0.339; 95% CI:0.225−0.511). However, effective strategy for enhancing complementary feeding quality during pandemic should be formulated.

Background: High-quality complementary feeding practice can promote healthy growth and development. However, the consumption of unhealthy foods during complementary feeding is common among children in low- and middle-income countries due to massive exposure to food advertising. Unhealthy food consumption may increase the risk of obesity and degenerative diseases among children in the future. Objectives: To analyze the association between the frequency of exposure to food advertising and the frequency of unhealthy food consumption during complementary feeding among children aged 6-23 months in Indonesia. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study including 415 children in Indonesia using convenience sampling. Mothers self-reported their frequency of exposure to food advertising in various media and their children’s unhealthy food consumption during the past week using a self-administered online unhealthy food frequency questionnaire. Data were analyzed using a spearman rank correlation test. Results: The mean of total unhealthy food frequency consumption during complementary feeding, including sugar confectionery, frozen treats, baked or fried confections, and salty snack was 18.29 (±9.75) times/week. The mean frequency of exposure to food advertising through electronic, printed, and online media was 5.41 (±5.32) times over the past two weeks. A significant but weak positive association was observed between the frequency of unhealthy food consumption during complementary feeding and exposure to food advertising (r=0.272, p-value <0.001). Conclusions: High exposure to food advertising increases the frequency of unhealthy food consumption during complementary feeding among children. Given the significant impact of such marketing, the government should regulate unhealthy food marketing targeted at mothers.

Purpose: The increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) among infants and young children has emerged as a growing public health concern in Indonesia. This mixed-methods study aims to identify factors associated with UPF consumption among children aged 6–23 months and to explore caregivers’ perspectives on the factors shaping UPF consumption during complementary feeding. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative survey was used to assess the consumption of UPFs using the NOVA classification system. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify associated sociodemographic factors. A purposive subsample of mothers participated in in-depth interviews to explore contextual and behavioral factors, and the data were analyzed thematically. Findings: UPFs contributed a mean of 40.65% of total energy intake. Higher intake was associated with maternal employment status, low household income and non-maternal care. The mothers in the study perceived UPFs as factory-made foods containing preservatives, yet still acceptable to be consumed in moderation. The consumption of UPFs was influenced by their availability, affordability, convenience and was further reinforced by family permissiveness, children’s taste preferences and their use to prevent child fussiness. Research limitations/implications: Future research should further examine the identified determinants across diverse settings and evaluate strategies to strengthen caregivers’ nutritional literacy and access to nutritious foods. Practical implications: Strengthening caregivers’ nutritional literacy and improving access to affordable, nutritious foods are critical to reducing children’s exposure to UPFs during early developmental stages. Originality/value: This study integrates quantitative and qualitative approaches to provide a comprehensive understanding of UPF consumption during the complementary feeding period in urban Indonesia, highlighting both socioeconomic and behavioral drivers of early dietary practices.

Childhood overweight and obesity is a growing public health challenge in Indonesia, affecting approximately one in five school-aged children. Because children spend substantial time at school and frequently obtain meals and snacks from on-site canteens, these settings represent an important opportunity for nutrition-focused interventions. As an initial step towards understanding factors influencing canteen stocking decisions, we assessed perceived taste, acceptability, and feasibility of healthier local foods and beverages from the perspectives of canteen owners and school administrators (n = 10) across five primary schools (n = 2 urban, n = 3 rural) in Magelang, Indonesia. Participants completed in-person taste tests of selected food and beverage options and participated in in-depth interviews exploring drivers of stocking decisions. IndoMilk (multi-cereal, reduced-sugar dairy beverage) received the most favorable taste ratings and was perceived as the most feasible option to sell, followed by sate telur puyuh (braised quail eggs) and sate buah (fresh fruit skewers). In contrast, gethuk (cassava/coconut cake) and polo pendem (steamed tubers with boiled peanuts) were viewed as less appealing to children and unlikely to be sold. Participants identified children’s taste preferences, affordability, visual appeal, and profitability as key considerations influencing stocking decisions, while perceptions of nutrition varied. Findings from this pilot study highlight contextual factors shaping school canteen food environments and may inform future interventions aimed at introducing healthier options while accounting for children’s preferences and canteen operational constraints.