Routine Cleaning of Poultry Cages as a Determinant of Underweight among Children Aged 6-59 Months in Indonesia

Abstract

Objective: This study examined whether there is a significant relationship between routine cleaning of

poultry cages and the incidence of underweight in children aged 6-59 months in Indonesia. Raising poultry

has a significant relationship with the incidence of recurrent infections. Families who keep poultry have

greater incidence of fevers and colds. This is a concern when the management of the poultry cage is poor,

as the presence of poultry in the environment is one of the causes of recurrent infectious diseases with

symptoms of cold or fever, and has a significant relationship with underweight.

Method: This cross sectional study in Babakan Madang Subdistrict with participants of 612 mother and

children under five, and 298 of them have poultry. Interviewing respondents using questionnaire and poultry

management observations. Anthropometric measurements in children under five are weight and height.

Descriptive analysis and the relationship of independent variables with the incidence of underweight using

chi-square for bivariate analysis.

Results: 10.8% of children aged 6-59 months were underweight. Significant relationships were found

between underweight status and routine cage cleaning (p= 0.017; OR 3.205; 90%CI:1,268-8,101); family

income (p = 0.050; OR 1,728; 90% CI:1,033-2,892); recurrent fever (p = 0.046; OR 1,763; 90% CI:1,042-

2981); and recurrent colds (p = 0.003; OR 2,259; 90%CI: 1,348-3,784).

Conclusion: Routine cleaning of poultry cages at least once per day is the key to maintaining environmental

cleanliness so that the poultry that are kept do not cause infectious diseases that lead to underweight among

children.