ABSTRACT
Background: Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) is a condition frequently found in pregnant woman. The mothers with PEM can affect the fetal growth, which makes it susceptible to low birth weight risks. The prevalence of low birth weight in newborns of the mothers with PEM who did receive intensive nutrition counseling was 20,1% in Jember regency.
Objective: The objective of this research is to analyze the effect of the nutrition counseling of third trimester pregnancy woman with PEM on the birth weight in newborns.
Method: This research used the quasi experimental method with the pretest-posttest control group design. The samples of research consist of 37 respondents, 18 for control group and 19 for counseling group and taken using the purposive sampling technique. The data of research were collected through questionnaire, checklist, and body scale and analyzed using the Independent Sample t-test, Mann-Whitney, Chi-Square, and Fisher’s Exact Test.¬
Result: The nutrition counseling did not had any direct effect on the birth weight as indicated by the p-value = 0.380. Yet, had an effect on the increase of energy and protein intakes as indicated by the p-value = 0.000 and p = 0.014. The fundal height had a contribution of 4.681 times to the birth weight. The mothers’ body weight had a contribution of 1.375 times on the birth weight. The energy and protein intakes had contributions of 1.003 times and 0.961 times on the birth weight.
Conclusion: Nutrition counseling could improve the energy and protein intakes of third trimester pregnancy woman. It did not had any effect on the birth weight in newborn of the third trimester pregnancy woman with PEM at Community Health Centers of Jember Regency because fundal height, pregnant womans’ body weight, and energy and protein intakes contributing to the birth weight and it given to third trimester pregnancy woman had too short time.
Keywords: Nutrition counseling, birth weight, PEM