WhatsApp-Based Nutrition Telemedicine to Improve Knowledge Attitude Practice (KAP) of Mothers with Stunted Children in Indonesia

Abstract

Stunting remains a significant public health challenge, especially in developing countries, and is often exacerbated by insufficient parental supervision of children's nutritional needs. Leveraging familiar technologies like WhatsApp Telemedicine for Mothers of Stunted Children (WA-TESTA) can improve mothers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to the care and prevention of stunting in children under two years old. This research aimed to assess the effectiveness of the WA-TESTA program in improving mothers' knowledge about stunting, their attitudes towards the prevention of stunting and their practices in caring for stunted children (KAP) under two years old in Banyumas Regency, Indonesia. A quasi-experimental design was employed, involving 202 mothers from 10 villages, randomly divided into an intervention group (101 participants) receiving weekly support via the WA-TESTA app for three months and a control group (101 participants) that did not receive any intervention. Data analysis was performed using independent t-tests, paired t-tests, mann-whitney, chi-square, and general linear model. The findings indicated significant improvement in the KAP scores of the intervention group (KAP p-values: 0.001), while the control group showed no notable changes (p-values for knowledge: 0.260, attitudes: 0.538, and practices: 0.394). The intervention and control groups differed significantly regarding knowledge (p-value = 0.001), attitudes (p-value = 0.001), and practices (p-value=0.002). The WA-TESTA initiative effectively engaged mothers, helping them recognize the importance of adopting supportive attitudes toward the prevention of stunting. The result also highlights the essential role of nutrition in stunting prevention.