ABSTRACT

Background: The nutrition problem still becomes a severe problem in many countries. Positive Deviance is a family-based approach that has positive behavior enabling them to find better ways to prevent malnutrition.

Aim: The study reveals the factors affecting Positive Deviance families in efforts to improve the nutritional status of under-fives.

Method: The study employed a qualitative method with a descriptive phenomenology design in which the primary informants were Positive Deviance families, and the supporting informants were non-Positive Deviance families, nutrition officers, and midwives who were taken through purposive sampling. The data were collected through interviews, FGD, observations, and documentation.

Results: Five primary informants had participated in this study. The researchers held the interview, and then the results were recorded. The results revealed that the factors affecting the Positive Deviance family in improving nutrition were mothers' role as primary caregiver, knowledge, education, family income, social environment factor, exclusive breastfeeding culture, and motivation to become healthy and smart children.

Conclusion: The study results imply that education and low income do not hamper the efforts to improve child nutrition if positive family habits support it. It is necessary to increase family empowerment and share Positive Deviance family experience.

Keywords: Family, Factors, Positive Deviance, Nutritional Status, Childhood