Midwifery-led education and training on safe supplementary food processing: effects on mothers’ knowledge, attitudes, and motivation toward stunting prevention in Indonesia†

Wahyu Ersila; Nina Zuhana; Nur Chabibah; Siti Khuzaiyah

doi:10.2478/fon-2026-0037

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Midwifery-led education and training on safe supplementary food processing: effects on mothers’ knowledge, attitudes, and motivation toward stunting prevention in Indonesia†

Frontiers of Nursing

Volume 13 (2026): Issue 3 (September 2026)

By: Wahyu Ersila, Nina Zuhana, Nur Chabibah and Siti Khuzaiyah

Open Access

|Sep 2026

Abstract

Objective

Nurses and midwives play an essential role in the community in preventing and managing stunting among toddlers. This study examined the impact of midwives-led education and training on supplementary food processing, aiming to enhance mothers’ knowledge, attitudes, and motivation in managing toddler feeding using food safety principles.

Methods

This quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest study evaluated an educational and practical training intervention on supplementary feeding management for mothers of toddlers aged 6–24 months. Using purposive sampling, 30 respondents were assessed for knowledge, attitudes, and motivation both before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test.

Results

This study revealed significant improvements in knowledge, attitudes, and motivation after the intervention. Knowledge increased with a mean difference of 2.74 (P < 0.001), attitudes improved with a mean difference of 3.76 (P < 0.001), and motivation increased with a mean difference of 4.54 (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Food processing education and training improved the knowledge, attitudes, and motivation of mothers of stunted toddlers. This study reinforces the role of midwives and community nurses as frontline health educators in promoting child growth and development by educating them on food safety. The intervention demonstrated how midwifery-led nutrition education empowers mothers to adopt safer food practices, thereby reducing the risk of stunting and enhancing community health resilience.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fon-2026-0037 | Journal eISSN: 2544-8994 | Journal ISSN: 2097-5368

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Language: English

Page range: 333 - 343

Submitted on: Dec 22, 2025

Accepted on: Jan 5, 2026

Published on: Sep 25, 2026

Published by: Shanxi Medical Periodical Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Keywords:

Related subjects:

Assistive professions, nursing

© 2026 Wahyu Ersila, Nina Zuhana, Nur Chabibah, Siti Khuzaiyah, published by Shanxi Medical Periodical Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 13 (2026): Issue 3 (September 2026)