<![CDATA[Stunting remains a major public health problem and a national priority because it affects physical growth, cognitive development, productivity, and quality of life in the future. Limited maternal knowledge of child nutrition, particularly animal-source protein intake and use of the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Handbook, contributes to stunting. Preliminary observations in Kekeri Timur Hamlet revealed the presence of children with stunting and nutritional problems, along with inadequate maternal understanding of child growth monitoring using the MCH Handbook. This community service program aimed to improve mothers' knowledge and skills in monitoring children's nutritional status through MCH Handbook-based stunting education. The activity was conducted in Kekeri Timur for 15 mothers who had children with stunting or nutritional problems. The intervention included a pretest, health education delivered through lectures and leaflets, practical training on using the MCH Handbook, a posttest, and dietary interviews. Evaluation was conducted by comparing participants’ knowledge categories before and after the intervention and assessing their ability to interpret growth monitoring charts in the MCH Handbook. Descriptively, the results showed an increase in participants' knowledge. Prior to the intervention, most participants had poor knowledge (66.7%), and after the intervention, participants with good knowledge increased to 66.7%, with no participants remaining in the poor category (0%). Interview findings indicated that most children consumed monotonous diets dominated by rice, vegetable broth, tofu, and tempeh, with limited consumption of animal-source foods. Following practical training, most participants were able to interpret growth charts and independently monitor their children’s nutritional status. Descriptively, MCH Handbook-based stunting education effectively improved mothers' knowledge and skills in monitoring child growth. Similar programs should be continuously implemented through community health services and health volunteers to support sustainable child growth monitoring.]]>
