Why Parents Matter in School Nutrition Programs
Indonesia continues to face significant nutritional challenges among school-age children. According to the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey, undernutrition, unhealthy eating habits, and stunting remain concerns that can affect children's physical growth, cognitive development, and academic achievement.
To address these issues, the Indonesian government introduced the Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG), providing healthy meals in schools across the country. However, researchers argue that nutritious meals alone are not enough. Children's eating habits are largely shaped at home, making parents essential partners in maintaining healthy dietary practices beyond the classroom.
The study highlights that many nutrition programs rely primarily on one-way information campaigns, while meaningful behavioral change requires parents to actively participate in discussions, ask questions, and collaborate with schools.
Schools Become Centers of Health Communication
Rather than acting solely as educational institutions, schools can also serve as community health communication hubs.
The researchers explain that participatory health communication emphasizes:
- Two-way dialogue between teachers and parents.
- Nutrition education sessions.
- Interactive discussions.
- Parent involvement in school activities.
- Collaborative decision-making about children's nutrition.
This communication model allows parents to share experiences, clarify concerns, and better understand the objectives of the Free Nutritious Meal Program instead of simply receiving information passively.
How the Research Was Conducted
The research adopted a quantitative explanatory design using a one-group pretest–posttest approach.
Researchers surveyed 100 parents or guardians whose children participated in the Free Nutritious Meal Program at three public elementary schools in Parepare, South Sulawesi:
- UPTD SD Negeri 16 Parepare
- UPTD SD Negeri 57 Parepare
- UPTD SD Negeri 80 Parepare
Parents completed structured questionnaires before and after participating in school-based health communication activities. The collected data were analyzed using statistical methods to determine whether improvements in communication influenced parents' knowledge and behavior regarding children's nutrition.
Most Participants Were Mothers
The respondent profile illustrates the central role mothers continue to play in children's nutrition and education.
Among the participants:
- 84.16% were women.
- 77.23% were mothers of participating students.
- 44.55% had completed senior high school.
- Smaller proportions had elementary, junior high, university, or postgraduate education.
According to the researchers, these findings reinforce the importance of involving mothers while also encouraging broader participation from fathers and other family members in school nutrition programs.
Communication Produced Measurable Behavioral Change
Statistical analysis showed that school-based participatory health communication had a strong and statistically significant influence on parents' knowledge and behavior.
Key findings include:
- Regression coefficient: 0.604, indicating that better communication quality was associated with improved parental knowledge and behavior.
- Standardized Beta: 0.725, showing a strong positive relationship.
- R² (Coefficient of Determination): 52.6%, meaning participatory communication explained more than half of the observed improvement in parents' knowledge and behavior.
- t-value: 10.419, with p < 0.001, confirming the relationship was statistically significant.
- F-value: 108.563, demonstrating the regression model was highly reliable.
These results indicate that improvements in school communication were consistently followed by increases in parents' understanding of balanced nutrition and stronger support for healthy eating practices at home.
Beyond Information: Building Shared Responsibility
One of the study's most important findings is that participatory communication changes how parents perceive the Free Nutritious Meal Program.
When parents are actively involved in discussions instead of simply receiving instructions, they begin viewing MBG as a shared community responsibility rather than a government initiative alone. This sense of ownership encourages stronger long-term commitment to maintaining healthy eating habits within the family.
The researchers also note that schools become facilitators of community empowerment by creating opportunities for dialogue, feedback, and collaboration among teachers, parents, and policymakers.
Implications for Education and Public Policy
The findings suggest that communication strategies should become a core component of school nutrition policies.
For schools, the study recommends:
- Continuous nutrition education.
- Regular parent discussion forums.
- Interactive communication between teachers and families.
- Ongoing collaboration to reinforce healthy eating habits at home.
For policymakers, integrating participatory health communication into the national implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal Program could improve public acceptance, strengthen parental participation, and enhance the program's long-term sustainability.
The researchers also encourage future studies involving larger populations across different regions of Indonesia and longer observation periods to evaluate lasting behavioral changes.
Academic Perspective
According to Raden Ismira Febrina and colleagues from Universitas Garut and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, the success of school nutrition programs depends not only on providing nutritious meals but also on communication that encourages dialogue, participation, and collaboration between schools and families. Their findings demonstrate that effective health communication strengthens parental understanding while fostering sustained healthy behaviors that benefit children beyond the school environment.
Author Profile
Raden Ismira Febrina is a researcher from the Faculty of Communication and Information, Universitas Garut, specializing in health communication, participatory communication, and community engagement. This research was conducted in collaboration with Siti Nor Amalina, Faculty of Language and Communication, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (Malaysia), along with Sani Rahman, Zikri Fachrul Nurhadi, Vasya Eprilafani, and Griski Lilua, all affiliated with the Faculty of Communication and Information, Universitas Garut.
Source
Article Title: The Influence of School-Based Participatory Health Communication on Parents’ Knowledge and Behavior Regarding the Free Nutritious Meal Program
Journal: International Journal of Sustainable Applied Sciences (IJSAS), Vol. 4, No. 7
Publication Year: 2026
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