Integrating Calcium Supplements into Local Food-Based Dietary Recommendations to Improve Nutritional Adequacy for Breastfeeding Mothers in Agricultural Areas of Semarang Regency

Breastfeeding mothers may experience macro and micronutrient deficiencies affecting the quantity and quality of their breast milk. Optimizing local food-based intake recommendations for breastfeeding mothers can prevent vulnerability to pollution and heavy metals, especially in agricultural areas. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the agricultural areas of Semarang Regency to compare the nutritional adequacy of local food-based nutritional guidelines with the introduction of calcium supplements in the formula consumed by breastfeeding mothers. A total of 76 breastfeeding mothers were purposively recruited based on inclusion criteria and interviewed regarding their nutritional intake to determine consumption patterns. The data were analyzed using Nutrisurvey and WHO-Optifood software. Identification of nutritional problems and development of recommendations for nutritional intake were done through 3 module stages. The average age of the mothers was 28 years; 74.3% of the mothers had received primary education, and 84.3% were housewives. The nutritional problems identified are related to calcium, thiamin, folic acid, and zinc. Maternal calcium adequacy is only 22.2%. Adding a calcium supplement of 1000 mg per day is the most appropriate strategy to meet the calcium adequacy of mothers. An evaluation of the implementation in the community is necessary.