The Eating And Drinking Habits Of Children At Kudus, Central Java,Indonesia

Abstract

97.7% of children in Indonesia evidently consume less vegetables and fruits but eat more snack and instant drinks. Some of those snacks sometimes contain microbes, additives and harmful substances such as formalin, borax, artificial coloring, flavor enhancer, artificial sweeteners which lead to several illness like typhoid (2.7%), diarrhea (4.9%), hepatitis (1.9%), etc. This study aims to describe the eating and drinking habits of children at Kudus. This study was qualitative research with a phenomenological method. This study was conducted from July to September 2018 in Kudus in which it involved 12 participants. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. In-depth interview and triangulation were done to collect the data. The result of this study stated that not all children were accustomed to having breakfast and they did not carry packed lunch from home. Moreover, schools did not have healthy canteens and the students were not used to washing hands cleanly appropriately. In fact, the children were not used to eat eating vegetables and fruit everyday and at school they brought pocket money to buy snacks and beverages containing lots of sweeteners, artificial coloring, preservatives, borax, and flavor enhancer in which some snacks were eaten using unhealthy sauces and spices. Teachers told the students not to buy unhealthy snacks and beverages, but they kept doing that secretly. Conclusion: the children habits in consuming unhealthy snacks and beverages must be immediately eradicated because it has the potential cause to nutritional disorders and health problems such as malnutrition, obesity and typhoid, sore throat, diarrhea etc.