<![CDATA[Background: Despite various government programs aimed at improving nutrition, malnutrition remains a major problem in the Waara Community Health Centers area. Earlier studies have primarily examined causes such as poor nutrition, childcare practices, and infections, but have rarely investigated the impact of counseling interventions on toddlers’ weight. A 2023 preliminary survey by researchers at Waara Health Centers found 65 children under five suffering from malnutrition. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of nutritional counseling on weight changes in toddlers from Mantobua Village, Lohia District, Muna Regency. Method: Using a pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design, mothers of malnourished toddlers received nutrition counseling over five sessions in one month. Sessions covered toddler nutritional needs, balanced menus, meal preparation, harmful foods to avoid, and common nutritional problems. Toddler weights were measured before and after the intervention using a hanging scale by the researchers. A total of 65 mothers participated. Data analysis was done with the paired sample t-test. Result: The counseling led to a significant increase in toddlers’ weight, supported by a p-value of 0.000, indicating a strong statistical difference (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Nutritional counseling significantly affects weight gain in children under five. Future studies should consider long-term monitoring to evaluate lasting effects on nutritional status.]]>
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