<![CDATA[Background: Limited knowledge of balanced nutrition may contribute to nutritional problems among elementary school children, including undernutrition and overnutrition. Nutrition education using interactive learning media that is appropriate to children's developmental stages is needed to improve their understanding of balanced nutrition. Based on Lawrence Green's Health Behavior Theory, knowledge is one of the predisposing factors that influences health behavior. Purpose: To determine the effect of balanced nutrition education using IPAS learning media on the level of balanced nutrition knowledge among elementary school students. Method: This study employed a quasi-experimental design using a pretest-posttest control group design. The sample consisted of 56 students from Grades I, II, and III at SDN 3 Rajabasa, Bandar Lampung City, selected using purposive sampling. The participants were equally divided into an intervention group and a control group, with 28 students in each group. Data were collected using a balanced nutrition knowledge questionnaire that had been tested for validity and reliability. Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate analyses with the Paired Sample t-Test and Mann–Whitney test. Results: The results showed a significant increase in knowledge in both the control group, from 9.32±1.81 to 12.29±1.49 (p=0.001), and the intervention group, from 9.61±1.69 to 12.75±1.35 (p=0.001). However, the Mann–Whitney test showed no significant difference in the increase in knowledge between the intervention and control groups (p=0.544). Conclusion: Balanced nutrition education improved students' knowledge in both the intervention and control groups. However, the use of IPAS learning media did not result in a significantly greater increase in knowledge compared with the lecture method.]]>
