Exploratory Factor Analysis of Dietary Intake Patterns in Children Aged 4–5 Years: Food Availability, Knowledge, Environmental, and Economic Factors

Abstract

Dietary intake patterns among children aged 4–5 years constitute a crucial factor in supporting optimal growth and development. This study aimed to identify the main factors influencing dietary intake patterns of children aged 4–5 years in Patupangan Village, Barus Subdistrict, Central Tapanuli Regency. The study employed a quantitative approach using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) through the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method. The study population consisted of all parents with children aged 4–5 years, totaling 53 individuals, with a sample of 31 parents selected using cluster random sampling based on posyandu (integrated health service post) groups. The research instrument was a questionnaire comprising 30 indicators related to children’s dietary intake patterns. The results of the analysis indicated that from the initial 30 variables, four main factors were formed, consisting of 13 dominant variables, which collectively explained 71.729% of the total variance after rotation. These four factors were: (1) food availability, (2) nutritional knowledge, (3) environmental factors, and (4) economic factors. Food availability emerged as the most dominant factor, characterized by insufficient fruit consumption after meals, low regularity of daily fruit intake, and inadequate fulfillment of complete nutritional requirements from daily meals. These findings suggest that efforts to improve dietary intake patterns in early childhood should focus on strengthening the availability of nutritious food at home, enhancing parents’ nutritional education, improving children’s eating environments, and providing economic support for families.