The Effect of Malnutrition on The Quality of Life of Children Aged 2-4 in Indonesia

One of the indicators of a nation’s welfare is the quality of life of children. Malnutrition can impair the body's immunity to various diseases, especially infectious diseases which interfere the growth and physical and mental development. As a result, this condition adversely affects the quality of life of children. The aim of research to determine the effect of malnutrition on the quality of life of children aged 2-4. This research uses historical cohort design. Subjects were 120 children within the age range of 2-4 years who live under the jurisdiction of Grabag Public Health Center Central Java Indonesia in 2016. The subjects of the research must meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The independent variable is malnutrition experienced by children and it is measured based on Standard Deviation (Z-score) with a standard weight for age (W/A). Quality of life is the perception of parents/primary caregivers of children about the health status of children in terms of physical, psychological, and social development. It is measured by using a questionnaire of PedsQL Generic Core Scale for 2-4 year old children. Analysis of data uses linear regression. Results: Malnutrition has an influence on the quality of life of children p = 0.000 <0.05 (95% CI = 7.79-13.25) after being controlled by family’s economic factors . Malnutrition has an influence on all domains related to the quality of life of children, in physical function (p = 0.000; 95% CI = 6.77-16.44), emotional function (p = 0.000; CI = 9:09 to 17:15), and social function (p = 0.001; CI = 3.27-11.60). Conclusion: There is a significant effect between malnutrition and the quality of life of children. It can be used as input for an increase in promotion and prevention programs for health workers in order to improve the nutritional status of children to prevent poor quality of life. Key Words: malnutrition, the quality of life, 2-4 year old children