EATING BEHAVIOR RELATIONSHIP WITH GROWTH BABIES AGED 6-12 MONTHS IN THE WORK AREA OF KALITANJUNG PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER

The age of 6–12 months is a critical transition period in infant growth, during
which complementary feeding (MP-ASI) is introduced. Inappropriate eating
behavior during this stage may lead to growth problems such as undernutrition,
wasting, or stunting. Data from the Kalitanjung Public Health Center, Cirebon
City, in 2024 indicated the presence of growth disturbances in infants, many of
which were associated with poor feeding behavior. This study aimed to
determine the relationship between eating behavior and growth in infants aged
6–12 months in the working area of the Kalitanjung Public Health Center,
Cirebon City.
This was a descriptive correlational study with a cross-sectional approach. A
total of 42 infants aged 6–12 months were selected using proportional stratified
random sampling. The instrument used was the Behaviors of Transition to
Complementary Feeding Scale (BTCF-S) to assess eating behavior, and growth
was measured through body weight and body length. Data analysis was
conducted using the Spearman rank correlation test.
The findings showed that 73.8% of infants had good eating behavior, and 92.9%
had normal nutritional status. The Spearman rank test indicated a significant
relationship between eating behavior and infant growth (p = 0.000; r = 0.580),
with a moderate strength of correlation and a positive direction. There is a
significant relationship between eating behavior and growth among infants
aged 6–12 months. The better the eating behavior, the more optimal the infant's
growth.