NUTRITION SECURITY AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS DURING COVID-19 COMMUNITY ACTIVITY RESTRICTION: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN SEMARANG, INDONESIA
Authors: Kurnia Arif Rahmat , Lestari Puji 
Published: October 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on various aspects of human life, including health. In Indonesia, many students in Semarang have had to adapt to online learning and make significant changes to their lifestyles due to community activity restrictions. This adjustment to their lifestyle may have affected their nutritional adequacy and jeopardized their nutrition security. This study aims to determine the nutrition security status of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic's community activity restriction. The research employs a cross-sectional design, and the Modified Semi-Food Frequency Questionnaire (Semi-FFQ) is used as the research tool. Data analysis was conducted using univariate analysis (frequency distribution) and bivariate analysis (Spearman's rank correlation test). The study found that 81.12 percent of respondents had adequate food supplies during community activity restriction, and 39.2 percent of students relied on contemporary or traditional markets as their primary food source. Furthermore, 76 percent of students preferred consuming fried foods. The data analysis showed a weak negative correlation between community activity restriction and nutrition security proxies such as food storage availability (p=-0.071), appetite (p=-0.026), and food hygiene adherence (p=-0.018). However, all p-values were greater than 0.05, indicating no statistically significant link. The study concluded that there was no significant association between community activity restriction and nutrition security among university students in Semarang. Interventions are needed to enhance university students' nutrition and food choices, even amid community activity restrictions. This study's implications could be far-reaching in enhancing nutrition security among university students.
Keywords: nutrition security, university students, community activity restriction, COVID-19
ABSTRAKPandemi COVID-19 telah memberikan dampak yang signifikan terhadap berbagai aspek kehidupan manusia, termasuk kesehatan. Situasi pandemi memaksa banyak pelajar di Indonesia, termasuk di kota Semarang, untuk melakukan kegiatan belajar daring dan mengubah gaya hidup secara signifikan, Perubahan gaya hidup ini dapat mempengaruhi kecukupan asupan gizi siswa dan menurunkan ketahanan gizinya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk untuk mengetahui pola konsumsi makanan mahasiswa pada masa pandemi COVID-19. Metode penelitian ini menggunakan desain penelitian cross sectional. Instrumen penelitian yang digunakan yaitu Modified Semi Food Frequency Questionnaire (Semi-FFQ). Analisis data menggunakan analisis univariat (distribusi frekuensi), dan analisis bivariat (uji korelasi rank Spearman).Hasil penelitian ini diketahui bahwa selama pembatasan aktivitas masyarakat: 81,12 persen responden memiliki persediaan makanan yang cukup, 39,2 persen mahasiswa mengandalkan pasar modern atau tradisional sebagai sumber makanan utama, 76 persen mahasiswa menyukai pemanfaatan makanan dengan metode pengolahan digoreng. Keanekaragaman pola konsumsi mahasiswa mayoritas mengonsumsi daging ayam (74%), telur ayam (73%), wortel (70%), tempe (67%), dan tahu (66%). Hasil analisis data dihasilkan pembatasan aktivitas masyarakat memiliki korelasi negatif yang lemah dengan ketersediaan penyimpanan makanan (p=-0,071), nafsu makan (p=-0,026), dan kepatuhan terhadap kebersihan makanan (p=0,018). Namun, tidak ada korelasi yang signifikan secara statistik, karena semua nilai p lebih besar dari 0,05. Kesimpulan penelitian ini tidak terdapat hubungan yang siginifikan antara pembatasan aktivitas masyarakat dengan ketersediaan penyimpanan makanan, nafsu makan, dan kepatuhan terhadap kebersihan makanan. Dalam penelitian ini berpotensi memiliki implikasi yang signifikan untuk mempromosikan ketahanan gizi di kalangan mahasiswa.
Kata kunci: ketahanan gizi, mahasiswa, pembatasan aktivitas masyarakat, COVID-19