Interactive Social Media-Based Nutrition Education to Improve Complementary Feeding Practices for Mothers with Underweight Children

Abstract

Underweight in toddlers remains a serious nutritional problem that impacts longterm growth and development. Evidence from observational and intervention studies consistently indicates that complementary feeding practices do not meet recommendations. Social media has the potential to be an effective platform for nutrition education, but scientific evidence regarding interactive digital IEC interventions remains limited. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of social media based interactive IEC in improving mothers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding the provision of complementary feeding to underweight toddlers. The study was conducted as a quasi experimental, non-randomized controlled trial on 84 mothers (42 intervention; 42 control) in Semarang Regency from October to November 2025. The intervention group received educational videos on complementary feeding via TikTok/YouTube (two videos per day for 14 days) and 24-hour chatbot support. The control group received routine community health center services. Pre and post- measurements were conducted using a reliable KAP questionnaire. Analysis used the Wilcoxon and Mann–Whitney tests. Intergroup comparisons at post-test showed significant differences for all variables (p < 0.001), with a medium-to-large effect size in the intervention group. Social media based interactive IEC combining educational videos and a chatbot effectively increased mothers’ KAP on complementary feeding for underweight toddlers. Further research with a randomized design and longer duration is needed to evaluate its impact on children’s nutritional status.