Nutrition education and changes in knowledge and attitudes among children aged 9–12 years

Abstract

Background: Pola makan tidak seimbang pada anak usia sekolah masih menjadi masalah kesehatan masyarakat yang dapat memengaruhi status gizi, pertumbuhan, dan perkembangan anak. Anak usia sekolah membutuhkan pemahaman mengenai gizi seimbang untuk mendukung pembentukan pola makan sehat. Objective: This study aims to describe changes in nutrition-related knowledge and attitudes before and after the provision of education to children aged 9–12 years in Pakkat Dolok Village, Indonesia. Method: This study employed a pre-experimental design using a one-group pre-test post-test approach without a control group. dilaksanakan pada Mei–Juli 2026. Sebanyak 32 anak dipilih secara purposive sampling dari populasi 143 anak. Education was delivered through material presentations, interactive discussions, and the use of visual aids, covering topics such as balanced nutrition, the importance of breakfast, nutrients, and healthy food choices. Knowledge and attitudes were assessed before and after the activity using a questionnaire that had undergone prior validity and reliability testing. Analisis deskriptif dilakukan berdasarkan distribusi kategori pengetahuan dan sikap. Results: The study results show that the proportion of children with a good level of knowledge increased from 25.0% to 84.4%, while the proportion of children with a positive attitude increased from 43.8% to 84.4%. Conclusion: Temuan ini menunjukkan adanya perbedaan deskriptif antara pengukuran sebelum dan sesudah edukasi. The small purposive sample, absence of a control group, and use of ordinal category codes limit causal and statistical interpretation. Future controlled community health studies should assess validated scores, food choices, and persistence of change.