ABSTRAKTo implement exclusive breastfeeding program, breastfeeding mothers should have a good knowledge. One way to gain knowledge is by providing nutritional counseling. This study aimed to determine the effect of nutrition counseling toward exclusive breastfeeding and nutritional status toward the knowledge and attitude of breastfeeding mothers in Lubuk Pakam Subdistrict Primary Health Care. This study was a quasi experimental with non-equivalent control group design. Samples of 60 mothers were divided into two groups that were 30 mothers who received intensive nutrition counseling at the intervention group in
Lubuk Pakam Primary Health Care work area and 30 mothers at control group in Tanjung Morawa Primary Health Care work area. The intervention group was given nutrition counseling intervention for three months provided in three sessions. The study was conducted in March-August 2016. The statistical analysis used t-test. The results showed that before intervention, knowledge and attitude in both groups did not differ consecutively with p value = 0.290 and p value = 0.658, after intervention both knowledge and behavior were significantly different p value = 0.000. While the average weight gain in infants in the first month was 1.25 kg in intervention group, 1.19 kg in control group , and in the second month was 1,44 kg in intervention group and 1 kg in control group. Paired tests show that there is effect of nutritional counseling toward knowledge and attitude in the intervention group.
