A study of determining factors of underweight among toddlers in Riau, Indonesia

This study was performed to clarify determining factors related to toddler underweight.Four hundred eleven mothers and toddlers at 124 child health posts in Pekanbaru, Riau, Indonesia, were selected by multistage random sampling. Data regarding sociodemographic status, toddler health and feeding problems, and mothersʼ behavior regarding toddler feeding practices were collected using a questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors contributing to toddler underweight. The average age of the toddlers was 23.2±7.2 months, and 15.1% （n=62）were underweight. The most common health problem reported in toddlers in the past 3 months was fever （65.5%）. The most common feeding problems were difficulty eating （14.6%） and refusing to eat （8.8%）. Although 95.3% of mothers always provided a variety of foods for their toddlers, 61.8% always provided toddlers with a snack at mealtimes, and 58.9% always give their toddlers milk before eating. Among the toddlers included in the study, 53.3% experienced non-exclusive breastfeeding （non-EBF） from 0 to 6 months old. Multivariate analysis indicated that underweight toddlers were most likely to have refused to eat at some point in the previous 3 months （OR = 3.76）, to have mothers that always gave them milk before eating （OR = 1.92）, and to have mothers that supplied them with complementary food by their sixth month （OR = 1.94）. The results of this study will facilitate the design of intervention strategies to prevent toddlers from being underweight based on toddlersʼ feeding problems and mothersʼ practices regarding feeding their toddlers.