Effectiveness of Serang Sundanese Song-Based Health Education Compared with Leaflets in Improving Community Health Workers’ Knowledge of Stunting Prevention

Abstract

Stunting is a public health issue that requires prevention through effective education tailored to the cultural context of the community. This study aims to analyse the effectiveness of an educational medium—a song in the Serang Sundanese language in improving health cadres’ knowledge regarding the prevention and control of stunting. The study employed a quasi-experimental design using a pre-test–post-test control group approach. The study was conducted in Cilayang Guha Village, Cikeusal Sub-district, Serang Regency, Banten, from January to November 2025. A total of 30 health cadres were selected using purposive sampling and divided into an intervention group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). The intervention group received education through a song in the Serang Sundanese language entitled “Ibu Hebat Anak Sehat” (Great Mum, Healthy Child), whilst the control group received the same educational material via a leaflet. Knowledge was assessed before and after the two-month intervention using a structured questionnaire. Analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test and the Mann–Whitney U test, as the data were not normally distributed. The results showed an increase in knowledge scores in the intervention group from 72.67 to 94.00, with an average increase of 21.33 (p=0.001), whilst the control group increased from 74.67 to 92.00, with an average increase of 17.33 (p=0.001). The difference in the increase between the two groups was significant (p=0.016), with a moderate effect size (r=0.42). Education through songs in the Serang Sundanese language was effective in improving health cadres’ knowledge of the prevention and control of stunting.