THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MATERNAL BEHAVIOR (KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, ACTIONS) ON THE CARE OF BABY BOTTLES AND INCIDENCE OF DIARRHEA IN TODDLERS AT BALOI PERMAI PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER, BATAM CITY, IN 2024

Diarrhea is the disease with the second highest mortality rate in the world, especially in children under five, more than 1,200 children under five die every day or around 444,000 children per year. Based on the results of the Batam City Health Office presurvey, the Baloi Permai Health Center has the most diarrhea among children under five with a total of 389 in 2023. This study aims to determine the relationship between maternal behavior (knowledge, attitude, action) about how to care for milk bottles and the incidence of diarrhea in toddlers at the Baloi Permai Health Center, Batam City. The design of this study uses a quantitative approach with a cross sectional approach. The research sample includes mothers who have toddlers. The number of samples in this study was 79 mothers with purposive sampling techniques. The location of the research was carried out at the Baloi Permai Health Center which was carried out in July 2024. The data collection tool used a questionnaire (knowledge, attitudes, actions) about how to care for milk bottles with the incidence of diarrhea in toddlers. Data analysis using the chi-square statistical test. The results of the study were that most mothers had behaviors about bottle care in the poor category (60.8% knowledge, 57.0% attitude, and 64.6% action). The results of the study showed that there was a significant relationship between the knowledge, attitude, and actions of mothers who calmed down how to care for milk bottles with the incidence of diarrhea in toddlers with a p-value of 0.000, so it can be concluded that maternal behavior (knowledge, attitude, action) about how to care for milk bottles has a significant influence on the incidence of diarrhea in toddlers at the Baloi Permai Health Center, Batam City.