OBJECTIVE: The first 1000 days of life is a crucial stage in optimizing child growth and development, with feeding practices and consequently nutritional status as the most essential roles in it. However, improper feeding practices remain a major problem in developing countries especially in rural areas. This study aims to evaluate complementary feeding practices and nutritional status in Bibinoi Village, North Moluccas.

METHOD: The subject of this study were all children aged 6-23 months in Bibinoi Village. Interviewsand anthropometric measurements were conducted during home visits to attain maternal sociodemographic data (age, education and profession) and feeding practice indicators. The indicators gathered were exclusive breastfeeding history, complementary feeding introduction, dietary diversity, feeding frequency, and bottle feeding. Nutritional status were assessed and classified according to categories by WHO. Bivariate analysis were then conducted using Chi Square and Fischer tests.

RESULT: Out of 40 subjects, 35% were stunted, 35% were underweight, and 17,5% were wasted. Maternal age was correlated with weight-for length Z score (OR = 1.368, 95% CI 1.084-1.728). Bivariate analysis revealed statistically significant correlation between all feeding practice indicators with length-for-age Z score. Exclusive breastfeeding and feeding frequency were not correlated with weight-for-age Z score, and none of the indicators are correlated with weight-for-length Z score.

CONCLUSION: Nutrition remains a problem in Bibinoi Village, as exhibited by the substantial numbers of stunted, underweight, and wasted children. Moreover, complimentary feeding practice serves as factors that significantly correlated to nutritional status. In order to enhance overall child health and wellbeing, it is important to improve the feeding practice indicators.