<![CDATA[Background: Young children are particularly vulnerable during and after disasters because disruptions in caregiving, nutrition, healthcare access, and developmental stimulation may adversely affect growth and development.Objective: To evaluate whether the HEBAT (Holistic Education, Active Play, Growth and Development) model produced greater improvements in growth and development than routine care among young children affected by flooding in Padang, Indonesia.Methods: A controlled pretest-posttest study was conducted in 2026 with 40 children (20 per group) allocated by simple randomization. The four-week intervention comprised parental education, age-appropriate active play, parental assistance with home stimulation, and periodic growth and developmental monitoring. Weight-for-height Z-scores were analyzed in 30 eligible children; KPSP developmental scores were assessed in all 40 children. Within-group changes were tested using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and between-group differences using the Mann-Whitney U test.Results: Mean KPSP scores increased from 7.80 to 8.75 in the intervention group and from 7.60 to 8.60 in the control group. Mean weight-for-height Z-scores increased from 0.80 to 1.91 and from 0.90 to 2.09, respectively. Within-group changes were significant (p < 0.001), but between-group differences were not significant for weight-for-height Z-score (p = 0.329) or KPSP (p = 0.574).Conclusion: Both groups improved, but the findings did not establish a statistically significant advantage of HEBAT over routine care.]]>
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