Hubungan Pemberian Pola Jajan dengan Status Gizi pada Anak Prasekolah

Background : Preschool children (aged 3–5) are in a golden age, crucial for growth and development. However, many children at this age have unhealthy snacking habits, such as consuming foods high in sugar, salt, and fat. Unhealthy
eating habits can impact a child's nutritional status, ranging from malnutrition to
obesity. A preliminary study at Liko Kindergarten in Palembang showed that most children frequently snack and have varying nutritional statuses. This provides the
basis for examining the relationship between snacking patterns and nutritional status in premature children..
Objective : To determine the relationship between snacking patterns and nutritional status in preschool children.
Methods : This analytical survey study design used a cross-sectional approach, conducted using Kendall's Tau-B test, with 40 respondents using total sampling and using a questionnaire.
Result : The majority of respondents were 6 years old (28 respondents (70%) and the least were 5 years old (12 respondents (30%), the majority were male (21 respondents (52.5%) and the least were female (19 respondents (47.5%). The provision of snack patterns was mostly good snack patterns (24 respondents (60%) and the least were bad snack patterns (16 respondents (40%). There was no relationship between the provision of snack patterns and nutritional status (p-value = 0.633).
Conclusion : There is no significant relationship between snacking patterns and nutritional status in children.
Suggestion : This research can be a source of information for schools to pay more attention to children who bring packed lunches so that children always eat healthy food that meets their nutritional needs.