Effect of peer education on improving parental knowledge about nutrition in children

The knowledge about nutrition in children is essential for parents, who play a significant role in ensuring proper growth and development. Many parents lack awareness about proper maintenance of nutrition for children. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of peer education on parental knowledge about the nutritional status of children.A pre-experimental method was used and respondents comprised 20 parents of students from elementary school in Palembang City. Data was collected using a questionnaire before and after the intervention.The result showed that there was an increase in parental knowledge with a p-value =0,001 according to the Wilcoxon test. The mean values before and after intervention were 16.8 and 21.8, respectively. Intervention through peer education improved parental knowledge about achieving balanced nutrition in children. Parents were also empowered to share information with others regarding the knowledge obtained through trusted sources. This information entailed nutritional status, appropriate nutrient uptake, and optimized physical activity for children.The integration of peer education resulted in a substantial increase in the average level of parental knowledge after the intervention.