DIFFERENCES IN MUAC AND BODY WEIGHT OF CED PREGNANT WOMEN BEFORE AND AFTER PMT

Abstract

Pregnancy requires special attention to maternal nutrition and health. Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED), a condition caused by prolonged inadequate energy intake, indicate by a Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) of less than 23.5 cm. In Indonesia, the prevalence of CED among pregnant women decreased from 17.3% to 9.7% in 2020, and further to 8.7% in 2022, successfully surpassing the national target of 14.5%. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of supplementary feeding (PMT) on the nutritional status of pregnant women suffering from CED using MUAC and body weight as indicators. Conducted in the Sarang 1 Public Health Center, Rembang Regency, this quasi-experimental research employed a one-group pretest-posttest design without a control group. A total of 52 pregnant women with CED participated, selected through purposive sampling. The intervention involved providing PMT according to the Ministry of Health’s guidelines, implemented over nine cycles from June to December 2024. Each cycle included ten days of food provision consisting of main meals and snacks. Nutritional measurements were taken before and after the three-month intervention. Results showed a statistically significant increase in average MUAC from 21.71 cm to 23.99 cm (p ≤ 0.0001) and body weight from 42.86 kg to 50.02 kg (p ≤ 0.0001). These findings indicate that PMT effectively improves the nutritional status of CED pregnant women. The study supports continued implementation and evaluation of PMT programs in public health settings as a strategy to combat maternal malnutrition and promote fetal development.