Honey and children: the effect of honey from Apis cerana bees on children’ nutritional status in East Nusa Tenggara-Indonesia

This study aims to examine the effect of honey from Apis cerana bee colonies on nutritional status in children aged two to five years old in the working area of Mok Community Health Center, Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara-Indonesia. The study was conducted in May -June 2018, with quasi-experiment design with pre and post testin one group. The sample in this study amounted to 35 children under five years old, with malnutritional status. Nutritional status is determined by the weight-for-age. The used honey was honey from the A. cerana bee colonies harvested in Manggarai Regency. Honey was consumed by children as much as 5 mL, twice a day, morning and evening, for 8 weeks. Nutritional status measurements were taken at 0 weeks, 4 weeks and 8 weeks before and after honey consumed regularly. Post-Hoc data analysis using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. The results showed a significant increase in children's nutritional status at week 4 and week 8. The percentage of children with malnutritional status after being given honey A. cerana regularly for 4 weeks fell to 57% and good nutrition increased to 43%. Meanwhile, after 8 weeks of honey, the malnutritional status has decreased to 31%, and vice versa 69% of children have increased their nutritional status to good nutrition. The results of a comparative test of increasing nutritional status between 4 and 8 weeks showed that there was a significant difference between improving the nutritional status of children under five years old who consumed honey for 4 weeks and for 8 weeks. The research shows the length of time consumed A. cerana honey regularly in children aged two to five years old, will have a positive effect to the nutritional status from poor to good nutritional status.