Enhancing health literacy for child protection: Development and validation of a mobile application for child sexual abuse prevention education

Introduction: child sexual abuse (CSA) is a global issue causing significant physical, psychological, and social impacts, urging the need for effective prevention strategies. Public knowledge about CSA in Indonesia is minimal. While parenting education interventions have proven effective in reducing child maltreatment, digital technology presents a promising yet underexplored avenue. This study aimed to develop and validate a mobile application media for CSA early prevention tailored to the educational needs of teachers and parents. Methods: this research employed a Research and Development following the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation). Qualitative data collection through three Focus Group Discussions and one interview with four teachers and ten parents at Pringsewu Public Kindergarten, Lampung, Indonesia, informed the application content and structure. Subsequently, four experts in the fields of pediatric health, psychology, information technology, and early childhood education validated the app to ensure accuracy and usability. Field testing was then conducted with ten teachers and ten parents, which confirmed that the mobile application was user-friendly, educationally valuable, and well-accepted, based on the Technology Acceptance Model. Results: the needs assessment identified three main themes: easy-to-understand CSA prevention content, engaging media for children, and educational features for both children and their guardians. The product was named Save d’Kids, a validated and pilot-tested CSA prevention mobile app. Conclusions: Save d’Kids is a digital mobile application validated by experts that shows promise in improving CSA literacy among children through teachers and parents. Future studies should involve randomized controlled trials to assess the effectiveness of Save d’Kids.