Hubungan Perilaku Picky Eater Dengan Status Gizi Anak Prasekolah Usia 3-5 Tahun Di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Kaleke Kabupaten Sigi

Background: Picky eater are one of the common problems in preschool children. Picky eater behavior is usually not permanent, but as a result of this behavior, picky eater children tend to have less nutritional intake. During the preschool period, children's weight often causes problems such as weight lost due to behavior that leads to the ability to refuse food. Based on the result oh the 2022 Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI), it is reported that the prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight is still quite heigh. The SSGI result show that during 2022 there will be an increase in wasting of 0,7% and an increase in underweight of 0,1%. Data from Central Sulawesi Province according to SSGI show a prevalence of stunting of 28,2%, wasting of 11,3%, underweight of 25,0% and overweight of 1,8%.

Objective: The research was conducted tp determine the relationship between picky eater behavior and the nutritional status of preschool children aged 3-5 years in the working area of the Kaleke Community Health Center, Sigi Regency.

Method: This research is observational analytic with a cross sectional research design. The sampling technique in this research was proportionate stratified random sampling with a minimum sample size of 83 samples. The statistical test in this study in the spearman rho test which is interpreted as having a significant relationship if the p value is < 0 p=0,226>0,05), meaning that there was no significant relationship between picky eaters and children's nutritional status.

Conclusion: There is no significant relationship between picky eater behavior and the nutritional status of preschool children aged 3-5 years in the Kaleke Health Center working area, Sigi Regency.

Keywords: Picky Eater, Nutritional Status, Preschool Children