Nutrition Education Using Video Improves Iron Intake and Dietary Diversity among Adolescents: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Background: Nutrition education is crucial for improving school children's nutritional knowledge, fostering positive attitudes towards food, and developing healthy eating habits to address the triple burden of malnutrition currently affecting adolescents. This study aims to determine the impact of nutrition education videos on iron intake and dietary diversity among adolescents living in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a non-randomized pre-post test and a control group. The intervention study involved 69 adolescents, comprising 34 participants in the intervention group and 35 in the control group. The intervention group received seven video education sessions, while the control group received only one. Iron intake was measured using SQ-FFQ, and dietary diversity was assessed through a 24-hour recall before and after the intervention. Data analysis was conducted using the Wilcoxon test to compare pre-test and post-test scores and the Mann-Whitney test to compare both groups. Results: The female adolescents in this study were aged 15-16 years, with most parents having a high school education and fathers working as entrepreneurs in both groups. Iron intake in the intervention group increased from 5.33 g/day (pre-test) to 9.70 g/day (post-test), while the control group experienced a decrease from 6.90 g/day to 5.42 g/day. The difference in iron intake between the two groups was significant (P-value 0.000, p<0.05). Dietary diversity in the intervention group increased from 2.71 (pre-test) to 4.06 (post-test), whereas the control group slightly increased from 3.09 to 3.17. The group differences were also significant (P-value 0.000, p<0.05). Conclusion: Nutrition education effectively increased iron intake and dietary diversity in the intervention group compared to the control group.