<![CDATA[Background: Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED) in pregnant women remains a public health problem with serious impacts on maternal and fetal health, such as increased risk of anemia, preterm labor, and low birth weight. One of the main factors contributing to CED is pregnant women's lack of knowledge about balanced nutrition and meeting nutritional needs during pregnancy. Therefore, ongoing educational efforts are needed to improve maternal nutritional understanding. Purpose: Optimize knowledge about nutritional status and the risk of chronic energy deficiency in pregnant women. Method: This community service activity was conducted at the Soposurung Community Health Center in December 2025. Twenty pregnant women were selected as respondents based on their Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) screening results of <23.5 cm and their willingness to participate in all activities. The objective of this activity was to provide counseling on meeting nutritional needs for the risk of chronic energy deficiency (CED) in pregnant women. The activity was implemented using an educational and participatory approach. Respondents' knowledge levels were measured using questionnaires administered before and after the educational activity (pre-test) and after the educational activity (post-test). Evaluation of knowledge improvement was assessed descriptively based on changes in nutritional knowledge and improvements in respondents' nutritional status indicators after the educational activity. Results: The level of knowledge of respondents regarding nutritional optimization for the risk of chronic energy deficiency before the educational activity was 5 (25.0%) in the good category, 8 (40.0%) in the sufficient category, and 7 (35.0%) in the poor category. There was a proportional change after the educational activities with 15 people (75.0%) in the good category, 4 people (20.0%) in the sufficient category, and 1 person (5.0%) in the less category. Conclusion: Community service activities through the optimization of nutrition education have proven effective in increasing nutritional knowledge and improving the weight status of pregnant women at risk of chronic energy deficiency (CED). Increased understanding of energy needs and balanced nutrition during pregnancy encourages changes in healthier eating behaviors and positively impacts improvements in nutritional status indicators. Suggestion: Nutrition education needs to be implemented routinely and integrated into antenatal care services, involving health workers, families, and health cadres to ensure the sustainability of behavior changes. Furthermore, regular monitoring of nutritional status and the development of more innovative and contextual educational media based on local foods are needed to increase the effectiveness of CED prevention programs for pregnant women. Keywords: Chronic energy deficiency; Balanced nutrition; Nutrition education; Pregnant women Pendahuluan: Kekurangan Energi Kronis (KEK) pada ibu hamil masih menjadi masalah kesehatan masyarakat yang berdampak serius terhadap kesehatan ibu dan janin, seperti meningkatnya risiko anemia, persalinan prematur, dan bayi berat lahir rendah. Salah satu faktor utama yang berkontribusi terhadap kejadian KEK adalah rendahnya pengetahuan ibu hamil tentang gizi seimbang dan pemenuhan kebutuhan nutrisi selama kehamilan. Oleh karena itu, diperlukan upaya edukatif yang berkelanjutan untuk meningkatkan pemahaman gizi ibu hamil. Tujuan: Optimalisasi pengetahuan tentang status gizi terhadap risiko kekurangan energi kronis pada ibu hamil. Metode: Kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat ini dilaksanakan di Puskesmas Soposurung pada bulan Desember 2025. Melibatkan 20 orang ibu hamil untuk menjadi responden, yang dipilih berdasarkan hasil skrining Lingkar Lengan Atas (LILA) <23.5 cm dan kesediaan mengikuti seluruh rangkaian kegiatan. Sasaran dalam kegiatan ini adalah penyuluhan tentang pemenuhan kebutuhan gizi terhadap risiko mengalami kekurangan energi kronis (KEK) pada ibu hamil. Pelaksanaan kegiatan dengan pendekatan edukatif dan partisipatif. Pengukuran tingkat pengetahuan responden menggunakan kuesioner yang dilakukan sebelum kegiatan edukasi (pre-test) dan setelah kegiatan edukasi (post-test). Evaluasi peningkatan pengetahuan dinilai secara deskriptif berdasarkan perubahan pengetahuan tentang gizi dan perbaikan indikator status gizi responden setelah kegiatan edukasi. Hasil: Menunjukkan bahwa tingkat pengetahuan responden mengenai optimalisasi gizi terhadap risiko kekurangan energi kronis sebelum kegiatan edukasi adalah sebanyak 5 orang (25.0%) dalam kategori baik, sebanyak 8 orang (40.0%) dalam kategori cukup, dan sebanyak 7 orang (35.0%) dalam kategori kurang. Terdapat perubahan secara proporsional setelah kegiatan edukasi menjadi sebanyak 15 orang (75.0%) dalam kategori baik, sebanyak 4 orang (20.0%) dalam kategori cukup, dan sebanyak 1 orang (5.0%) dalam kategori kurang. Simpulan: Kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat melalui optimalisasi edukasi gizi terbukti efektif dalam meningkatkan pengetahuan gizi serta memperbaiki status berat badan ibu hamil yang berisiko kekurangan energi kronis (KEK). Peningkatan pemahaman mengenai kebutuhan energi dan gizi seimbang selama kehamilan mendorong perubahan perilaku makan yang lebih sehat dan berdampak positif terhadap perbaikan indikator status gizi. Saran: Edukasi gizi perlu dilaksanakan secara rutin dan terintegrasi dalam pelayanan antenatal care dengan melibatkan tenaga kesehatan, keluarga, dan kader kesehatan agar keberlanjutan perubahan perilaku dapat terjaga. Selain itu, diperlukan pemantauan status gizi secara berkala serta pengembangan media edukasi yang lebih inovatif dan kontekstual berbasis pangan lokal untuk meningkatkan efektivitas program pencegahan KEK pada ibu hamil.]]>
