Latar Belakang : Terjadinya kejadian luar biasa (KLB) gizi buruk pada tahun 2005 di Propinsi NTT menunjukkan bahwa gizi buruk merupakan masalah yang mengancam kesehatan balita. Kabupaten Timor Tengah Utara (TTU) merupakan salah satu kabupaten di Propinsi NTT dengan penduduk mayoritas Suku Dawan dan terbanyak di temukan kasus gizi buruk dengan kelainan klinis. Meski demikian di temukan sebanyak 49,4% balita di Kabupaten TTU yang bertatus gizi baik dan 60,4% dari jumlah tersebut berasal dari keluarga miskin. Hal ini disebut penyimpangan positif status gizi. Tujuan Penelitian : Mengetahui faktor-faktor penyimpangan positif status gizi balita Suku Dawan di Kabupaten TTU Metode Penelitian : Penelitian dilakukan bulan Agustus 2007 sampai Pebruari 2008 di Desa Subun Kecamatan Insana Kabupaten TTU dan merupakan penelitian kualitatif dengan rancangan etnografi. Pengambilan data dilakukan dengan observasi dan wawancara mendalam terhadap 10 keluarga miskin yang memiliki balita gizi baik dan 5 keluarga miskin yang memiliki balita gizi buruk. Hasil : Ditemukan budaya yang berhubungan dengan kesehatan ibu dan balita seperti budaya panggang, budaya mandi air panas (tatobi), budaya makan kosong pada ibu bersalin dan balita serta pantangan makan suku. Pengetahuan gizi dan praktek pemberian makanan pada keluarga gizi baik, lebih baik dibandingkan keluarga gizi buruk. Balita dari keluarga gizi buruk mendapatkan ASI saja selama 4 sampai 6 bulan kemudian diberi makanan pendamping ASI yang dicampur dengan sayur dan protein hewani. Beberapa balita memiliki pantangan makan suku, tetapi makanan penggantinya setara dengan makanan yang dipantang, kecuali suku yang berpantang makan ikan. Paritas keluarga balita gizi baik cukup besar, namun jarak kelahirannya juga lebar yaitu 3 sampai 4 tahun, sehingga anak yang lebih besar ikut mengasuh adik-adiknya. Sebagian balita gizi baik tidak pernah sakit dan beberapa balita yang sakit dibawa berobat ke sarana kesehatan. Beberapa keluarga balita gizi baik memiliki ketahanan pangan yang baik, namun sebagian besar kurang tahan pangan. Seluruh balita gizi baik mempunyai tingkat konsumsi energi dan protein lebih dari 80% AKG. Kesimpulan : Faktor-faktor penyimpangan positif status gizi balita adalah : pengetahuan tentang gizi dan kesehatan, jarak kelahiran, pola perawatan balita sakit, pola makan, pola asuh makan, ketahanan pangan rumah tangga serta konsumsi. Keluarga yang memiliki balita gizi buruk dapat

Background: Malnutrition outbreak in the Province of Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) 2005 showed that malnutrition is a threat the health of children underfive year of age. District of Timor Tengah Utara (TTU) is a district of the Province of NTT of which its major community is Dawan Tribe. This district has malnutrition cases with clinical deviation. However, as much as 49.4% of children under five in the District of TTU have good nutrition status and 60.4% of them come from poor families. This is known as positive deviance. Objective: To identify factors of positive deviance nutritional status of children under five among Dawan Tribe in the District of TTU. Method: The study was carried out from August 2007 to February 2008 at the village of Subun, Subdistrict of Insana, District of TTU. It was a qualitative study with ethnographic approach. Data were obtained through observation and indepth interview with 10 poor families having children under five with good nutrition status and 5 poor families having children under five with poor nutrition status. Result: There were local cultures which brought disadvantages to the health of mothers and children under five such as “budaya panggang” (roasting), “budaya tatobi” (hot water bathing), fasting among mothers who gave birth and children under five and abstain against certain food among the tribe. Families with good nutrition had better knowledge about nutrition and the practice of food supply than those with poor nutrition. Children under five from families with poor nutrition obtained exclusive breastfeeding for 4 – 6 months and were given complementary breastfeeding mixed with vegetables and animal protein. Some children had to abstain from certain food, however substitute food equaled to food they abstained from except tribe with abstain from fish. Parity of families of children with good nutrition was relatively high and birth spacing was quite wide, i.e. 3 to 4 years, accordingly older children minded their younger brothers/sisters. Some of children with good nutrition status had never fallen ill and some ill children were taken to health service providers. Some families of children with good nutrition status had good household food security, but the majority were having poor household food security. All children with good nutrition status had energy and protein consumption of more than 80% of recommended dietary allowance. Conclusion: Factors of positive deviance among children under five of Dawan Tribe were knowledge of health and nutrition, birth spacing, care for ill children, food pattern, takes care for eating pattern, household food security and consumption. Families having children under five with poor nutrition status can learn with positive deviance families to improve their nutrition status.

Kata Kunci : Status Gizi,Penyimpangan Positif,Ketahanan Pangan Rumah Tangga, local culture, Dawan Tribe, positive deviance, household food security, nutrition status