Determinants Associated with Regular Weighing of Under Five Children in Posyandu in Kelapa Gading Sub District, Jakarta

Background and Objectives: A Posyandu is an integrated health post as an extension unit of Puskesmas (community health center) providing several under-five child health programs, especially regular weighing every month, basic immunization and vitamin A supplementation and additional food provision. Monitoring of child growth in Posyanduis a very important activity in order to know early child growth faltering. Data of National Basic Health Research (RISKESDAS) 2010,proportion of regular weighing was only 49.4%. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted to interview 96 mothers of under-five children randomly selected from 7 neighborhood blocks in sub-district of Kelapa Gading, Jakarta. The multivariable analysis was done to analyze strength of association (using odds ratios) between some potential determinants and the regularity of mothers to weigh their children in Posyandu. Weighing 4 times or more within the past 6 months was considered to be regular. Findings: The proportion of mothers weighing their children regularly in Posyanduin sub-district Kelapa Gading was 47.9%. The older the mothers, the lesser the probability to weigh regularly their children. Mothers who knew that Posyandu could provide Vitamin A and basic immunization freely for their children, were 2.7 times and 4.3 times respectively more likely to weigh their children regularly, as compared to mothers who did not know. Closer distance between mother’s house and Posyandu gave the mothers higher probability to weigh their children regularly, as much as 18.5 times, as compared to farther distance. The likelihood of working mothers to weigh their children regularly, were 18.3 times, as compared to the likelihood of housewife mothers. Conclusions: Mother’s age, knowledge about the programs of Posyandu, distance between mothers’ house and Posyandu, and mother’s occupation status were important determinants of likelihood to weigh their children regularly in the Posyandu.