Healthcare in Low-resource Settings 2024; volume 12:11982 Booklet preventing stunting based Android application (Bocesting) as a tool to enhance maternal nutritional behaviour and nutritional status Dewi Mey Lestanti Mukodri, 1 Tiyara Safitri, 1 Rita Ridayani, 1 Fardila Elba, 2 Neny San Agustina Siregar 3 1 Ministry of Health Health Polytechnic Tanjungpinang, Tanjungpinang, Indonesia; 2 Lincoln University College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 3 Ministry of Health Health Polytechnic Jayapura, Jayapura, Indonesia Abstract The most common health problem was the lack of nutrition, known as stunting. One approach to addressing nutritional issues in young children was through health education using the android method. The study aimed to analyze the differences in the influ- ence of stunting prevention education using booklet media and an Android-based application on maternal nutritional behavior and nutritional status, with the ultimate goal of preventing stunting cases. The research design employed a quantitative approach, specifically a Quasi-Experiment. Measurement tools included questionnaires assessing maternal nutrition behavior, with the samples divided into three intervention groups and one control group (n=51). Data analysis involved statistical tests, including Wilcoxon, Mann Whitney U, and Kruskall Wallis H. The results indicated that educational media using booklets significantly improved maternal nutrition behavior after the intervention (p<0.05). However, there was no significant increase in the nutri- tional status of children (p=0.317). Similarly, the Android applica- tion intervention group exhibited a significant improvement in maternal nutrition behavior (p<0.05), while the nutritional status of the children did not significantly change (p=0.193). A signifi- cant difference was observed in the impact of the media interven- tions between the booklet and Android application intervention groups and the control group regarding the enhancement of mater- nal nutritional behavior (p<0.05) and children’s nutritional status (p>0.005). In conclusion, educational media in the form of book- lets and Android applications can influence maternal nutrition behavior and children’s nutritional status in the context of stunting prevention education. Introduction Health problems in developing countries, including Indonesia, often revolve around nutritional issues, which indirectly contribute to the mortality of both mothers and children. 1 The age group under five years is particularly susceptible to nutritional challenges due to their relatively high growth requirements compared to adults. 2 One of the most prevalent health issues in this context is malnutrition, commonly referred to as stunting. 3 Stunting is a chronic malnutrition problem caused by a prolonged lack of nutritional intake, leading to growth disorders in children, characterized by shorter height compared to the standard for their age. 4 The government must address stunting seriously because it has the potential to reduce Indonesia’s future human resources’ productivity. It is crucial to reduce the incidence of stunting in toddlers as early as possible to avoid long-term adverse effects, such as hindered child development. Stunting can nega- tively impact brain development, leading to suboptimal intelli- gence levels in children. 5 Stunting problems can actually be prevented by improving the diet to meet the nutritional requirements. 6 Moreover, stunting incidents must receive specific attention from mothers, fathers, surrounding families, and the gov- ernment. 7 The measure of success in nutritional fulfillment is the child’s nutritional status as indicated by their weight and height. 8 According to the Indonesian government’s targets, the goal is to reduce the prevalence of stunting to less than 14% of the total number of children under five by 2024 (PEPRES No. 18 Tahun 2020). The short stature of a child is often attributed to inherited Correspondence: Dewi Mey Lestanti Mukodri, Ministry of Health Health Polytechnic Tanjungpinang, Tanjungpinang, Indonesia. E-mail: dewimey@poltekkes-tanjungpinang.ac.id Key words: Android apps; booklet; education; nutrition; stunting. Contributions: DMLM, conceptualization, data curation, methodology, validation, visualization, writing – original draft, review and editing; FE, formal analysis, methodology, validation, and writing – original draft, review and editing; TS, conceptualization, investigation, valida- tion, and writing – original draft, review and editing; rr investigation, methodology, visualization, writing – review and editing; NSAS, review and editing. Conflict of interest: the authors declare no conflict of interest. Ethics approval and consent to participate: the research has received eth- ical approval from the Health Research Ethics Committee of Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Bani Saleh, as indicated by ethical certificate EC.269/KEPK/STKBS/VIII/2023. Throughout the research, the researcher has adhered to ethical principles, including informed consent, respect for human rights, beneficence, and non-maleficence. Patient consent for publication: written informed consent was obtained for anonymized patient information to be published in this article. Funding: this research did not receive external funding. Availability of data and materials: all data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article. Received: 14 October 2023. Accepted: 17 November 2023. Early access: 30 November 2023. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (by-nc 4.0). © Copyright: the Author(s), 2023 Licensee PAGEPress, Italy Healthcare in Low-resource Settings 2024; 12:11982 doi:10.4081/hls.2023.11982 Publisher's note: all claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organi- zations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher. 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