Implementation Of Diet Education Nursing Intervention In Improving The Appetite Of Children With Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Abstract

Pulmonary tuberculosis is a contagious disease that remains a public health concern. One of the common symptoms experienced by children with pulmonary tuberculosis is a decreased appetite. This study aimed to determine the effect of dietary education nursing intervention on the appetite of children with pulmonary tuberculosis. The research employed a pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest approach. The population included all parents and pediatric pulmonary tuberculosis patients aged 2–5 years at the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic of Reksa Waluya Hospital, Mojokerto. Using purposive sampling, 40 participants were selected. The instrument used was an observation sheet for assessing children’s appetite based on the Indonesian Nursing Outcome Standards (SLKI). Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. Results showed that before the intervention, all children experienced decreased appetite ranging from moderately to significantly reduced. After receiving dietary education based on the Indonesian Nursing Intervention Standards (SIKI), there was a notable improvement in appetite. The Wilcoxon test revealed a p-value of 0.000, indicating that the dietary education intervention significantly improved the children's appetite. Therefore, dietary education is effective in enhancing appetite among children with pulmonary tuberculosis. Nurses are expected to provide dietary education to parents and actively involve children in their care.