Children, The Family and Health: What it Takes to Give Children Long Life
The Singapore Workshop: The Impact of Child Health on Study Performance
This description is more based on my own observations or experiences than theoretical analysis. The experiences indicate that:
1. A child’s health physically as well as by mentally at the age of 0 year up to 10 years old will much affect his/her study performance. A healthy child means a child who is in health condition physically as well as health mentally, which are balanced physical growth, emotional and his/her psychomotor.
2. A healthy child, physically and mentally, is much relying on the healthy mother’s life style and the pattern of mother’s custody. However, the unhealthy mother’s life style and the misspattern of mother’s custody are not only found in the group of mothers who are economically weak, but also in the group of mothers who are economically in the middle and up class.
3. In Indonesia, there are 3 (three) patterns in fulfilling the child food needs, which are:
First, a group of mothers who are economically in the middle and up class (generally they who live in cities). They feed their children based on the food taste, but not based on the nutrients’ need. They prefer to consume instant food.
Second, a group of mothers who are economically weak and live in cities too. They are commonly confused and do not know how to feed their children with enough food nutrients. They are only concerned with what if they still have rice and other meals like a cracker or others with poor nutrients.
Third, a group of mothers who live in rural areas. They actually are able to raise some livestock like broiler or layer and grow some vegetables in their fieldyard. However, what is actually happened? They still feed their child with a small salty fish or terasi.
4. Therefore, if the mothers in Indonesia, particularly in rural areas, really care about the importance of food nutrients for a child at the age of 0 up to 10 years old, the problems of lack of nutrients can be solved In addition, the mothers must get some information about how to obtain foods containing enough nutrients. I am certain that the economic crisis likely has not a large impact on the reduction of a child’s health or a child’s intelligence, if the mothers have been trained to find alternative substitution foods with enough nutrients.
5. As the problems mentioned above, in Indonesia there are some solutions to solve the problems, which have been carried out by the government, some organizations and institutions, that all concern the child’s and mother’s health and welfare. They are as follows:
a. Health Activities in School (UKS = Usaha Kesehatan Sekolah).
This activity is carried out by schools together with Local Public Health Center (Puskesmas = Pusat Kesehatan Masyarakat) and has a role to give some information concerning nutritious food, healthy cafetaria, immunization, examinations for eyes, ears, teeth periodically.
b. Little doctor activities. A group of doctors, paramedics and teachers trains some best students (the best ten) who are in the fifth and sixth class in elementary school to assist their teacher cleaning their school and making the school healthy and neat. They play a role in School Health Activities (UKS). An interesting point is that they use some plants, which they grow in the school yard, as traditional medicines. For example, they use daun sirih for someone who has a nosebleed (mimisan).
c. Student’s Parents Association. They play a role in helping students in School Health Activities (UKS).
d. Family Welfare Education Activities (PKK = Pendidikan Kesejahteraan Keluarga). This activity has a role in giving educational services for mothers and providing healthy foods at Integrated Services Post (Posyandu = Pos Pelayanan terpadu).
e. There is additional activity in giving food supplements for students in school.
f. In addition, at present there are many books describing how to maintain the children and the mother’s health as well as the guidance books for prenatal education.
Last Modified: June 05, 2010