The impact of high-protein complementary foods based on local ingredients on weight gain and future hypertension risk among children aged 6–24 months

This quasi-experimental study investigated the impact of a high-protein complementary food, formulated from locally sourced dingkis fish, on weight gain among children aged 6-24 months in the Riau Islands Province, Indonesia. Twenty mother-child dyads participated in a 30-day intervention, receiving fish-based nuggets at a dosage of 2 g/kg body weight/day. Proximate analysis confirmed the high protein content (89%) of the dingkis fish. The primary outcome, measured by paired-sample t-test, showed a statistically significant increase in mean body weight from 8.37 kg to 8.64 kg post-intervention (mean gain: 0.27 kg, p=0.001). The findings demonstrate that utilizing indigenous, nutrient-dense marine resources can effectively improve weight gain during the critical complementary feeding period. Furthermore, the study situates this nutritional strategy within a broader preventive health framework. By providing high-quality protein and essential fatty acids early in life, such interventions may support not only immediate growth but also contribute to favorable metabolic programming, potentially influencing long-term cardiometabolic health trajectories, including hypertension risk. This model presents a viable, community-based approach to address childhood growth faltering while investing in foundational lifelong health.