Journal of Midwifery and Nursing
Vol. 8 No. 3 (2026): Health Science

The culture of betel nut chewing and its relationship to chronic energy deficiency (CED) in pregnant women at the Karang Indah Community Health Center

Erma Retnaningtyas (Universitas STRADA Indonesia, Indonesia)
Mifta Huljanna (Universitas STRADA Indonesia, Indonesia)
Hanriska Awidiya Putri (Akademi Yaleka Maro, Indonesia)
Erni Agit Ekawati (Akademi Yaleka Maro, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
24 Jul 2026

Abstract

Betel nut consumption is closely linked to an increased risk of Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED). The active ingredients in it inhibit the absorption of essential nutrients and can reduce appetite, resulting in inadequate macro and micronutrient intake for mothers. This study aims to determine the relationship between the betel nut culture and the incidence of CED in pregnant women at the Karang Indah Community Health Center. The study design was quantitative and analytical with a cross-sectional approach. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 40 pregnant women from Papua who consume betel nut. Data were collected through a questionnaire to determine the consumption behavior of betel nut and pita lila (lila) to determine whether pregnant women had CED and a lila (lila) <23.5 cm. Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate methods using the Chi-Square test with an ? value of 0.05. The results showed that the majority of respondents had a habit of consuming betel nut (52.5%), those with CED (45.0%), and those without CED (7.5%). Bivariate analysis showed a significant association between the betel nut culture and the incidence of CED in pregnant women (p = 0.010) with strong relationships. These results indicate that CED is more common in pregnant women who consume betel nut compared to those who do not. Therefore, health education for pregnant women is needed to reduce betel nut consumption.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

JMN

Publisher

Subject

Health Professions

Description

Journal of Midwifery and Nursing Published by iocscience.org. iocscience is an Institute of computer Science Research institute engaged in public research in the fields of health, politics, social, economics, law and ...