Mangrove Sword Bean Food Bar as the Emergency Food Product for Children Under the Age of Five Due to Landslides

It is essential to prioritize attention toward children aged five and below since they possess unique needs due to their limited ability to appropriately prepare for and react to catastrophic events. There exists a need for easily accessible and appealing food choices that are capable of satisfying the unique micronutrient needs of specific groups. This study aimed to assess the effects of a meal bar containing a combination of api-api mangrove (Avicennia marina) and sword bean (Canavalia ensiformis) on the body weight and Weight-for-Age Z (WAZ) score of persons afflicted by a landslide disaster. A non-randomized pre-post intervention study was undertaken on a sample of 34 children under five who were affected by a landslide disaster. The participants were divided into two groups: the intervention group, who were provided the api-api mangrove-sword bean meal bars, and the control group, who were given sword bean food bars. Both groups were served with snack bars for 15 days. The study included disseminating educational materials on well-rounded nutrition for mothers with children aged five and below. The research results suggest that most women with children below the age of five had a positive inclination towards the mangrove-sword bean meal bar, as shown by their evaluation of its aroma, flavor, consistency, and appearance during the hedonic test. The experimental group had a more significant rise in weight (0.32 kg) and WAZ score (0.73) compared to the control group. Significant discrepancies were seen in the weight changes and Weight-for-Age Z-score (WAZ) among children under five. These inequalities were observed concurrently with a considerable surge in mother awareness of the need to provide well-rounded nutrition for children in this age bracket and an upturn in the consumption of food bars generally. There were no statistically significant differences in macronutrient consumption, except fat intake, between the pre and post-study periods. The investigation of the api-api mangrove-sword bean meal bar as a viable alternative emergency food source for vulnerable communities in the face of disasters is a subject of considerable scholarly attention. Additional research endeavors might be undertaken to delve deeper into this issue, with a particular emphasis on pregnant females as the focal population for the study.