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Background: Malnutrition remains a major public health problem among under-five children, contributing to impaired growth and development. Locally based functional foods offer a sustainable strategy to improve nutritional status using accessible nutrient-dense ingredients. This study evaluated the effect of a multi-nutrient functional snack (TUMIZ) on growth outcomes in malnourished toddlers.
Methods: A randomized pretest–posttest controlled clinical trial was conducted among 70 malnourished toddlers in Makassar, Indonesia. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group receiving daily TUMIZ biscuits plus maternal nutrition education or a control group receiving nutrition education only for 60 days. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels were assessed before and after intervention. Data were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests.
Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in weight and height; however, gains were significantly greater in the intervention group (p<0.05). IGF-1 levels increased significantly only in the intervention group (p=0.001), with changes significantly higher than controls (p=0.027).
Conclusion: The findings indicate that TUMIZ functional snacks effectively enhance physical growth and hormonal indicators associated with linear growth. TUMIZ supplementation significantly improves growth outcomes in malnourished toddlers and represents a promising locally based nutritional intervention.
