Penyuluhan Pentingnya Istinja’ pada Masyarakat di Desa Benteng Gajah Kabupaten Maros: Counseling on the Importance of Istinja' to the Community in Benteng Gajah Village, Maros Regency - Putri, Aditia Widya; Ambarak, Masnuna I (CV. Global Health Publication, 2024)
Abstrak Istinja’ merupakan salah satu praktik kebersihan diri yang penting dalam menjaga kesehatan pribadi dan lingkungan. Namun, sebagian masyarakat di Dusun Harapan, Desa Benteng Gajah, Kecamatan Tompobulu, Kabupaten Maros, masih memiliki pemahaman yang rendah mengenai tata cara dan pentingnya istinja’. Kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan masyarakat tentang pentingnya istinja’ melalui kegiatan penyuluhan dan pembagian poster edukatif. Metode pelaksanaan meliputi pemberian kuesioner pre-test dan post-test, penyuluhan door to door, serta pemasangan poster di tempat strategis seperti posyandu dan rumah warga. Hasil kegiatan menunjukkan adanya peningkatan signifikan dalam tingkat pengetahuan masyarakat, dari 27,3% kategori baik sebelum intervensi menjadi 81,8% setelah intervensi. Selain peningkatan pengetahuan, masyarakat juga memberikan tanggapan positif terhadap kegiatan penyuluhan karena dianggap bermanfaat dan mudah dipahami. Kegiatan ini membuktikan bahwa penyuluhan langsung dengan media edukatif dapat meningkatkan kesadaran dan perilaku hidup bersih masyarakat. Diharapkan kegiatan serupa dapat terus dilakukan secara berkelanjutan untuk membentuk kebiasaan hidup sehat berbasis nilai-nilai kebersihan dan kesehatan lingkungan. Kata kunci: istinja’, penyuluhan kesehatan, perilaku bersih, edukasi masyarakat Abstract Istinja’ is an essential personal hygiene practice that plays a significant role in maintaining individual and environmental health. However, many residents of Harapan Hamlet, Benteng Gajah Village, Tompobulu District, Maros Regency, still have a limited understanding of its proper implementation and importance. This community service activity aimed to increase public knowledge about istinja’ through health education and the distribution of educational posters. The methods included administering pre-test and post-test questionnaires, conducting door-to-door counselling, and placing posters in strategic locations such as health posts (posyandu) and residents’ homes. The results showed a significant improvement in community knowledge, with the proportion of respondents having good knowledge increasing from 27.3% before the intervention to 81.8% after. In addition, participants responded positively to the activity, stating that the materials were useful and easy to understand. This program demonstrated that direct counselling combined with educational media can effectively raise awareness and promote clean living behaviours among the community. Continuous and sustainable educational efforts are recommended to foster hygiene habits based on health and environmental values in rural communities. Keywords: istinja’, health education, clean behaviour, community awareness