Effect of intensive animal-source protein support on weight recovery in infants aged 6–12 months with weight faltering: A quasi-experimental study
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33024/min.v9i7.4333
Animal-Source Protein Infant Nutritional Status Intensive Support Weight Faltering Weight Recovery
Abstract
Background: Weight faltering in infancy is an early growth disorder associated with an increased risk of subsequent stunting. Globally, 149.2 million children under five years of age (22.2%) were affected by stunting and 45.4 million by wasting in 2020. In Indonesia, the prevalence of stunting among children under five was 21.6% in 2022. Inadequate animal-source protein intake remains common among infants aged 6–12 months, with reported inadequacy rates of 73.9%–82.8%. A preliminary survey in Tanjung Gusta Village, Medan City, found that 73.3% of infants with weight faltering had undernutrition based on the weight-for-length indicator.
Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of intensive support for animal-source protein provision in accelerating weight recovery among infants aged 6–12 months with weight faltering in Tanjung Gusta Village, Medan City, Indonesia.
Method: A quasi-experimental study using a pretest–posttest control group design was conducted among 60 infants aged 6–12 months with weight faltering. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling and allocated into an intervention group (n=30) and a control group (n=30). The intervention was implemented for 12 weeks from April to June 2026. Anthropometric measurements were assessed before and after the intervention. Statistical analyses included the paired-samples t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Mann–Whitney U test.
Results: Maternal adherence to the animal-source protein intervention reached 83.3%. In the intervention group, mean body weight increased from 6.16±0.29 kg at baseline to 7.23±0.31 kg after the intervention. The mean weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ) improved from −2.63±0.59 to −1.25±0.55 (p<0.001). Changes in body weight, body length, WAZ, and weight-for-length Z-score were significantly greater in the intervention group than in the control group (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Intensive support for animal-source protein provision was effective in promoting weight recovery and improving nutritional status among infants aged 6–12 months with weight faltering. This approach may be considered as a potential intervention strategy within primary health-care services to support growth recovery in infants at risk of growth faltering.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Anjelita Patricia Gulo, Bella Desa Ria Mahulae, Dwi Sri Amanda, Grace Erika Nami Sidabutar, Debora Paninsari
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