IEC to Prevent Anemia in Adolescents: 1 Blood Additive Tablet (TTD) Every Week
According to 2018 Riskesdas data, the prevalence of anemia in adolescent girls (rheumatism) in Indonesia is 32%. The reason is because teenagers experience menstruation and their growth and development period, in addition to their diet which generally favors fast food and other snacks. Low knowledge about anemia, its prevention and long-term impact also triggers the incidence of anemia in rheumatism. The impact of anemia is very large on the health of young women because it can cause poor health conditions during pregnancy after marriage, it can interfere with fetal development and during childbirth it can even cause death of the mother and child. However, this is often overlooked due to the lack of knowledge and support from the surrounding environment to fulfill the needs of iron, folic acid and other vitamins needed by rheumatists.
The government's attention through the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia regarding the high incidence of anemia in teenagers is expressed in a specific program, namely the provision of 1 tablet per week to increase blood pressure (TTD) to rheumatists. The main target of this program is young people aged 12-18 years who are still at junior high school and high school age. If it goes well, the TTD administration program can be effective in preventing and reducing anemia in rheumats, however there are still many rheumatists who do not know the benefits so TTD is not consumed even though it has been given by health workers in their respective areas.
In response to this, the PkM Team at the Faculty of Public Health, Indonesian Muslim University conducted education about the importance of consuming 1 tablet of TTD every week at SMPN 1 Lanna, Parangloe. Apart from being a UMI target area, the choice of location was also based on preliminary data obtained that there were still many young people who did not consume TTD which had been given by Parangloe Health Center health workers because they did not understand the benefits and did not know the right way or time to consume it.
Education with material about the need for TTD consumption in rheumats, the link between anemia and stunting and the anemia-free golden generation was carried out on September 24 2024 by the UMI FKM PkM Team: Dr. Andi Asrina SKM., M.Kes,., Dr. Fairus Prihatin Idris, SKM., M.Kes and Al Ikhsan Agus, S.Kep., Ns., M.Kep and involving students from the UMI Makassar public health faculty. Based on the results of this education, there was an increase in youth knowledge regarding TTD from 53.8% to 73.1%, sufficient knowledge which formed a positive attitude towards TTD consumption by 96.2% and a statement of willingness to consume TTD 1 tablet per week by 80.8%.
This International PkM activity is funded by the Community Service Institute of the Indonesian Muslim University.
