THE EFFECT OF GIVING FISH OIL ON INCREASING THE APPETITE OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN IN PAUD AND KINDERGARTEN GRENDEN PUGER JEMBER

ST. Nur Aisyatur Rodiyah 1, Widia Shofa Ilmiah 2

Abstract

Background: Optimal nutritional fulfillment during toddlerhood is an important determining factor in the process of child growth and development. One of the main challenges in fulfilling this nutrition is the low appetite of toddlers, which can impact inadequate nutritional intake and risk causing growth disorders such as malnutrition, wasting, and stunting. Low appetite in toddlers is often the main cause of children not getting enough energy and protein intake, even though at this age, the need for nutrients is very high to support optimal brain and physical development. Purpose: This study aims to determine the effect of fish oil administration on increasing toddlers' appetite. Method: This study used a quasi-experimental design with a post-test only control group design approach. The population in this study were all toddlers aged 3–5 years registered in Kindergarten (TK) in Puger District, Jember Regency. The sampling technique used purposive sampling. The number of samples in this study was 32 toddlers. Results: The group of toddlers given fish oil experienced an average weight gain of 0.70 kg with a standard deviation of 0.25 kg. Meanwhile, the control group that was not given fish oil only experienced an average weight gain of 0.20 kg with a standard deviation of 0.18 kg. Conclusion: Fish oil supplementation has been shown to be effective in increasing toddlers' appetite, as indicated by significantly higher weight gain