The Effect of Digital Communication Use in Counseling on Increasing Knowledge and Behavioral Changes in Families at Risk of Stunting in Deli Serdang District

This study aims to analyze the effect of using digital communication in extension activities on increasing knowledge and changing the behavior of families at risk of stunting in Deli Serdang Regency, as well as analyzing the role of moderating variables in the form of age, education level, number of children, ethnicity, and religion. This study used a quantitative approach with a sample size of 353 families selected by purposive sampling. The analysis was conducted with simple linear regression test and moderation test. The results showed that digital communication (X) had a positive effect on increasing knowledge (Y1) and changing behavior (Y2). The R² value for knowledge was 0.168 and for behavior was 0.143. After moderating by age, education, number of children, ethnicity, and religion, the R² values increased to 0.238 (knowledge) and 0.204 (behavior), indicating that demographic factors strengthened the relationship between digital communication and the knowledge and behavior of target families. This study confirms the importance of a digital communication approach that is contextual and adaptive to target characteristics for the effectiveness of stunting prevention extension programs