Nutritional problems in Indonesia are now increasingly complex as the current global changes affect the culture and diet of some Indonesian people. On the other hand, not a few people still have a level of knowledge about low nutrition and lack of awareness in healthy behavior. One of the important factors that influence the success of efforts to improve nutrition and change healthy behavior in the community is the availability of qualified and competent nutrition workers so as to be able to provide clinical nutrition care, good education and exposure to the community. However, the complexity of nutritional problems in Indonesia is certainly different from the nutritional problems that occur in other countries, so since 2016 with the aim of introducing to foreign students related to nutrition problems that occur in Indonesia, especially Yogyakarta and shows how the role of nutritionists in the field of clinical nutrition, the community and institutions in providing nutrition care in hospitals and communities. The FKKMK Health Nutrition Department organizes an Elective Program entitled “Introduction to Nutrition Problems in Indonesia”. At present, foreign partner universities that have participated since 2016 are Flinders University Australia.
The activity which took place from April 21 to May 12 2018 was attended by two students from the Nutrition and Dietetic Flinders University who had completed undergraduate education and would take professional education. During the program, Flinders students get 12 times in class lectures from the Nutrition Department lecturers. In this activity students get knowledge about the results of research and community service to UGM nutrition lecturers related to nutrition issues in Indonesia.
In addition, they also attend clinical and community placement. In clinical placement activities, students were invited to visit the UGM Hospital to find out how the role of RS nutritionists in providing clinical nutrition care to patients, besides that they were also invited to the hospital tour. Flinders students also have the opportunity to visit RSUP. Dr. Sardjito, they observed the planning stages until the preparation of the patient’s diet menu at the RSUP Nutrition Installation. Dr. Sardjito. They were also invited to the RSUP International Cancer Center (ICC). Dr. Sardjito who has been serving patients since 2015, where ICC is expected to provide better plenary services to patients, especially cancer patients. During this visit, Flinders students interacted directly with patients at the ICC accompanied by Nutritionists and medical personnel.
Community placement is also one of the activities that gives students knowledge about the role of Nutritionists in the community in providing education about nutrition and healthy living behavior. On this occasion students were invited to go into the community with Nutritionists from the Seyegan Health Center, Mlati 2, Ngemplak 2 and the Nutrition Recovery House (RPG). At the Puskesmas, as students were invited to educate school children about healthy snacks, in the Mlati Health Center 2 students were invited to attend nutritionist counseling for the elderly and nursing mothers. While at the Puskesmas Ngemplak 2 students were invited to counsel breastfeeding mothers and nutrition on toddlers, in Ngemplak students also had the opportunity to visit the Ayah Peduli ASI community, where this community was formed as a form of community empowerment towards exclusive breastfeeding. RPG is one of the programs of the Yogyakarta City Health Office to overcome the problem of children with malnutrition, on this occasion students were invited to find out how the nutrition children lacked care in RPGs to how to make liquid food for malnourished children.
On the sidelines of classroom and out-of-class activities, Flinders students have the opportunity to share experiences as students in student activities and educational activities at Flinders University with the UGM Health Nutrition Student Association (HIMAGIKA).
During the program the students get an excursion program every weekend, they are invited to visit several tourist attractions in Yogyakarta, such as Kaliurang (lava tour, Ullen Sentallu Museum, Mount Merapi Museum), cultural tours to Tembi Village (batik making, pottery), Imogiri ( mangunan pine forest, permaculture at Bumi Langit Institute), see the sunrise at Borobudur Temple and do cave tubing activities at Pindul Cave and snorkel at Sadranan Beach Gunung Kidul.
In the three-week program Flinders students have gained knowledge about nutrition issues in Yogyakarta both in class and outside the classroom so that at the end of the program students can reflect on what they have obtained in a project report that they must present as a final assessment. (Adhe)
