Effectiveness of orange almond potato cookie vs. orange potato cookie supplementation on nutritional wellbeing of the Indonesian stunted preschool-aged children during COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: Preschool-aged children who experience stunting due to insufficient consumption of macro- and micronutrients exhibit weakened immune systems, rendering them susceptible to contracting COVID-19 during the ongoing epidemic. Therefore, it is imperative to implement interventions aimed at enhancing the nutritional status of preschool-aged children by providing them with nutrient-rich food supplements as a preventive measure against illness transmission. The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of incorporating potato almond orange cookies into the diet on the nutritional status of preschool-aged children who are experiencing stunting. METHODS: A non-randomized pre-post intervention study was done on 42 individuals aged 12–58 months during 4 weeks. The intervention group was provided with almond potato cookies, while the control group was given orange potato cookies. During the study period, educational sessions on balanced nutrition in preschool-aged children with stunting and COVID-19 were provided to the mothers of both groups. The data analysis involved conducting univariate and bivariate analyses, namely utilizing the independent t-test. RESULTS: The intervention group exhibited the most significant enhancements in -for-Age Z-score. The mean -for-Age Z-score of the intervention group increased by 0.51 (from −3.15 to −2.64), whereas the control group saw a smaller gain of 0.25 (from −2.69 to −2.44). This increase was influenced by the mother’s age; mother’s education; father’s occupation; family size; good sanitation facilities; healthy home environment; and fat, calcium, and zinc intake from the cookies (p < 0.05). From the perspective of knowledge about balanced nutrition and COVID-19, there was no significant difference in the -for-Age Z-score in the intervention group. CONCLUSION: The ingestion of orange almond potato cookies has the potential to enhance the nutritional wellbeing of children in the preschool age group who are experiencing stunted growth.