THE RELEVANCE OF PROTEIN AND IRON INTAKE WITH NUTRITIONAL STATUS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS Yatty Destani Sandy*, Erni Rukmana, Kanaya Yori Damanik, Caca Pratiwi
Nutrition Study Program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Medan
Jl. Willem Iskandar Pasar V, Medan, Indonesia
yattysandy[at]unimed.ac.id
Abstract
College students are a group of late adolescents who are still in a period of development and rapid growth, so they need adequate food intake, and should have a good nutritional status. Protein is used for the growth and development of body cells and tissues, while iron is needed to maintain body functions. Collaboration on fulfilling good macro and micronutrient intake can create a healthy and accomplished future for adolescents. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between protein and iron intake with nutritional status among college students in Medan city. The design is cross sectional. Respondents are active students aged 19 to 25 years. Sampling technique using random sampling. Data collection by interviews, filling out questionnaires, and anthropometric measurements. Data analysis used the spearman rank test. A total of 96 college students had participated in the study. The results showed that there was a relationship between protein intake (p-value 0.031) and iron intake (p-value 0.005) with the nutritional status of college students in Medan city. The higher the protein and iron intake, the higher the nutritional status of adolescents. Adolescents need to manage their nutrient intake according to their daily needs. Regulation of protein and iron intake must be done so that adolescents have a good nutritional status.
Keywords: Iron- Nutrition Intake- Nutritional Status- Protein
