Summary of Scientfic Article “Consumption Traditional Food Description in Children Under Five in the Coastal Family of Bengkulu City, Indonesia"

 

This scientific article entitled "Consumption Traditional Food Description in Children Under Five in the Coastal Family of Bengkulu City, Indonesia" discusses traditional food consumption patterns among toddlers in coastal families in Bengkulu City, Indonesia. This research aims to identify types of traditional food and their contribution to the daily consumption of toddlers in the three main ethnic groups in Bengkulu, namely Malay, Minang and Serawai.

Traditional food has an important role in family nutrition, especially in providing micronutrients and protein needed for toddler growth. However, there is a shift in eating patterns from consuming traditional foods which tend to be more nutrient dense towards foods that are more influenced by Western culture, which are high in energy but low in nutrients. This shift has the potential to increase the risk of obesity and chronic disease. Therefore, understanding the contribution of traditional foods to toddlers' nutritional intake is crucial, especially in coastal areas which are culturally rich in traditional foods.

This research was conducted with a cross-sectional design, using a sample of mothers as food providers in the family, with the unit of analysis being toddlers aged 12-59 months. A total of 115 toddlers were randomly selected from 137 households. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), as well as food recalls for two days (2x24 hours). The aim of this approach is to measure how much traditional food contributes to toddlers' energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate intake.

The research results show that traditional food makes a significant contribution to the energy and macronutrient intake of toddlers in fishing families. Specifically, traditional foods contribute 19.34% for energy, 40.86% for protein, 17.65% for fat, and 17.65% for carbohydrates. Each ethnicity has variations in the types of traditional foods that are often consumed. In the Malay ethnic group, foods such as Onde-onde, Bolu Semut, and Balado Fried Fish are very common, while vegetable dishes such as Gulai Pucuk Ubi and Gulai Jackfruit are part of the daily diet. The Minang ethnic group is known for its use of coconut milk and rich spices, so foods such as Asam Padeh and Yellow Coconut Fish, as well as vegetables such as Jackfruit Curry and Ubi Shoots, are dominant in their diet. Meanwhile, the Serawai ethnic group often consume fish-based foods, such as Fish Tempoyak and Lemea. Tempoyak, which is the result of fermented durian, gives a distinctive sour taste and is often mixed with fish or vegetables.

This research concludes that traditional food has an important contribution to meeting the daily energy and macronutrient needs of toddlers in coastal families. Variations in traditional food processing by each ethnic group also show the uniqueness of culinary culture that needs to be maintained and improved. In addition, changes in lifestyle that increasingly lead to ready-to-eat foods can threaten the continuation of traditional food consumption, which ultimately has a negative impact on the health and nutrition of children under five.

Therefore, this research emphasizes the importance of interventions to increase consumption of traditional foods through variations in processing, so that the distinctive taste of each ethnicity can be maintained. Traditional fish-based foods, which are rich in protein and essential fats such as PUFA and MUFA, need to continue to encourage consumption so that they can support optimal growth and development of toddlers. It is also hoped that this strategy can be part of efforts to improve the quality of children's diets in coastal communities, so that they can grow and develop healthily.

PKKMB ASSIGNMENT: Aulia Farida Rahma