Hubungan Perilaku Picky Eater Dengan Status Gizi Balita Di Desa Timbang Jaya Kecamatan Bahorok

Children that exhibit picky eating behavior have a propensity to choose specific foods, refuse certain foods, and be reluctant to try new cuisines. The adequacy of nutrient intake and the nutritional status of children under five may be impacted by such behavior, which may also lessen dietary diversity. The purpose of this study was to examine the connection between the nutritional status of children under five in Timbang Jaya Village, Bahorok District, Langkat Regency, and their picky eating habits. This study used a quantitative methodology using a cross-sectional and analytical observational design. Using a complete sampling technique, 45 mothers with children between the ages of 12 and 53 months made up the study sample.A 20-item questionnaire was used to gather information on fussy eating habits, and measurements of body weight and height or length in accordance with child anthropometric standards were used to assess nutritional status. The Chi-Square test was used in both univariate and bivariate analyzes of the data. According to the findings, 12 kids (26.7%) had high picky eating behavior, 14 kids (31.1%) had low picky eating behavior, and 19 kids (42.2%) had intermediate picky eating behavior. A statistically significant correlation between fussy eating behavior and the nutritional health of children under five was found by the Chi-Square test, which produced a p-value of 0.008 (p < 0.05).These results suggest that a higher percentage of children with inadequate nutritional status is linked to a predisposition toward selective eating behavior. As a result, parents and medical professionals must pay more attention by implementing responsive feeding techniques, offering a variety of nutritionally balanced diets, and routinely assessing children's development.