Empowerment of Health Cadres through the Use of the Piring Ceria Media for Stunting Prevention in Borongloe Village

Abstract

Stunting remains a major chronic nutritional problem in Indonesia and poses serious impacts on physical growth, cognitive development, and the future quality of human resources. One of the main contributing factors to stunting is inappropriate childcare practices and complementary feeding that do not meet the principles of balanced nutrition. In Borongloe Village, limited knowledge and skills among health cadres and mothers of toddlers in preparing balanced and nutritious meals continue to increase the risk of stunting. This community service program aimed to strengthen the capacity of health cadres in stunting prevention through the application of the Happy Plate (Piring Ceria) media as a balanced nutrition education tool. The methods included education on stunting and balanced nutrition, training on the use of the Happy Plate media, and simulation of daily toddler meal planning based on local food resources. Health cadres were also equipped with educational communication skills to ensure effective and sustainable nutrition counseling for mothers of toddlers. The results showed a significant improvement in the knowledge of health cadres and mothers regarding stunting prevention, increasing from 45% to 85%. Skills in using the Happy Plate media for nutrition education improved from 35% to 90%, while the ability to prepare balanced menus based on local food sources increased from 40% to 88%. The Happy Plate media proved to be an effective, simple, and easy-to-understand visual educational tool that encouraged positive behavioral changes in toddler feeding practices at the household level. Empowering health cadres through the Happy Plate media has strong potential for replication in other areas by adapting to local wisdom and food availability, and it supports sustainable promotive and preventive efforts in stunting reduction.