GAMBARAN KONSUMSI FAST FOOD DAN KEJADIAN DIARE PADA ANAK PRASEKOLAH DI WILAYAH KERJA PUSKESMAS TLOGOSARI KULON

Abstract

Over recent decades, Indonesian dietary patterns have shifted from home-cooked meals toward fast food due to its practicality, driven by rapid growth in the fast food industry. This trend is increasingly common among preschool-aged children. Fast food, which is high in fat, low in fiber, and contains food additives, potentially disrupts the still-developing digestive systems of young children and increases the risk of diarrhea. The WHO reports 1.7 billion childhood diarrhea cases annually, with 443,832 deaths among children under five. At the Tlogosari Kulon Primary Health Center in Semarang, diarrhea cases among children aged 3-5 years rose from 367 cases (2024) to 416 cases (2025); however, the role of fast food consumption as an underlying factor has never been specifically investigated. A descriptive quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 68 respondents selected through purposive sampling from a population of 215 preschool children (3-5 years). Data were collected using an EPIC-adapted Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), a 30-item fast food type questionnaire, and a diarrhea occurrence questionnaire based on the WHO definition. All instruments were valid and reliable (Cronbach's Alpha 0.720-0.809). Univariate analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27. A total of 75% of children consumed fast food at moderate frequency (2-3 times/week), 16.2% infrequently (<1 time/week), and 8.8% frequently (≥4 times/week). Consumption was dominated by non-franchise outlets (83.8%), with the most common items being meatballs (97.1%), fried snacks (86.8%), and egg rolls (76.5%). Diarrhea occurrence wit6hin the past three months was reported in 30.9% of children.