The Relationship Between Vitamin D Intake, Calcium Intake, and Sleep Quality with the Nutritional Status of Toddlers in Besito Village, Gebog Subdistrict, Kudus Regency

Abstract

Introduction: The nutritional status of toddlers is influenced by various factors, including the intake of micronutrients such as vitamin D and calcium, as well as sleep quality. Vitamin D and calcium play important roles in the process of bone mineralization and linear growth, while sleep quality also affects metabolism and the balance of growth hormones. In Besito Village, Gebog District, Kudus Regency, malnutrition among toddlers is still high, as evidenced by a significant number of cases of very short and short stature. This study aims to analyze the relationship between vitamin D intake, calcium intake, and sleep quality on the nutritional status of toddlers in the region.

Methods: This study uses a cross-sectional analytical observational design with 51 toddlers aged 6–35 months selected purposively. Data were collected through the Semi Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQ-FFQ) for vitamin D and calcium intake, as well as the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) for sleep quality. Nutritional status was measured based on the z-score of height-for-age (H/A), and analyzed using correlation tests and p-values.

Result: the result showed that many as 80.4% of toddlers had sufficient vitamin D intake, and all respondents (100%) had adequate calcium intake. However, all the children experienced significant sleep disturbances. From the nutritional status perspective, 49% of toddlers have normal nutritional status, 21.6% are classified as stunted, and 29.4% are classified as severely stunted. The analysis results show that there is no significant relationship between vitamin D intake (p = 0.232), calcium intake (p = 0.268), or sleep quality (p = 0.351) and nutritional status.

Conclusion: Based on the results of the statistical test, it can be concluded that there is no significant correlation between vitamin D intake, calcium intake, or sleep quality with the nutritional status of toddlers in Besito Village, Gebog District, Kudus Regency (p > 0.05).