Efforts to reduce the mortality rate of newborns, infants, and toddlers, as well as ensuring optimal growth and development of children is one of the efforts in children’s health based on their development. The American Academic of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that every country is expected to carry out routine screening and surveillance of children’s development so that if there is a suspicion of a developmental disorder, early intervention can be carried out.
Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) 2018 stated that delays in child development reached 11.7% in children aged 36 months to 59 months using the Early Child Development Index assessment. The development of instruments that are simple, easy to access and used by the community is necessary to meet the need for monitoring children’s development.
The 2020 Maternal and Child Health Book (KIA) monitors child development at the community level with a checklist tool to assess children’s development according to age. The ownership rate for MCH books among children aged 0-59 months is 49.2% (those who own and can show it), while only 45.2% of those who own KIA books use them. Most mothers do not read growth charts and do not monitor their children’s development, so the MCH Book is not used as a guide in assessing children’s growth and development.
Based on this background, Sudiyati conducted research aimed at supporting the implementation of the child development monitoring program by developing an instrument sourced from the KIA Book development checklist by modifying it through pictures and making it online. This research became a dissertation entitled “Increasing Ability in Assessing the Development of Children Aged 3-72 Months by Mothers Using Modified KIA Image Instruments” which was defended in the open session for the promotion of a doctorate in Public Health Sciences (IKM) Faculty of Public Health (FPH) University of Indonesia (UI) on Friday, January 12, 2024.
The research design created by Sudiyati was instrument development (research and development) with mixed methods. The research was carried out in two stages, namely preliminary research which was instrument development and further research using instruments that had been developed for data collection. The data collection process was carried out online via a Google form link sent to respondents via WhatsApp social media. Analysis was carried out by conducting a Kappa agreement test between instruments.
The development of the instrument used achieved good readability results (easy to access, questions easy to understand, does not take a long time, attractive design and images clarify the questions). From all the agreement tests which include general development, development per aspect, and development according to the child’s age and maternal characteristic variables, it was concluded that the instrument got an increased Kappa value after using the Modified KIA Image. The increase in maternal understanding is more visible in the information about children aged 61-72 months and in the gross motor development which is analyzed as being able to provide more benefits to mothers who are over 30 years old, have more than 2 children, and have relatively lower education (junior high school). and high school).
The instrument created provides increased coverage of early detection of child development from the community level to health workers so that it can improve government programs, especially monitoring children’s development. Ease of access to the KIA Image Modification instrument has also been developed online, making it easier for mothers or parents with smartphones connected to the internet.
Implementation of the socialization of the Modified KIA Image instrument through Posyandu activities and other community activities, as well as monitoring children’s development activities are mandatory activities at Posyandu carried out by cadres and health workers as a new program that can be recommended.
Based on the results of her dissertation, Sudiyati, who was born on October 5, 1979, in Cilacap, was declared to have graduated and succeeded in obtaining a Doctorate degree in Public Health Sciences (IKM) as the 10th IKM doctoral graduate in 2024, the 306th IKM doctoral graduate, and the 306th IKM doctoral graduate. at the 392nd FPH UI and achieved a very satisfactory title.
The session was chaired by Prof. Dr. Dr. Sudarto Ronoatmodjo, S.K.M., M.Sc., as Chair of the Session, Prof. Dr. Asri C. Adisasmita, M.P.H., M.Phil., Ph.D., as Promoter, and Prof. Dr. Hadi Pratomo, M.P.H., Dr.PH and Prof. Dr. Dr. Rini Sekartini, SpA (K) as Co-Promoter. The examining team in the trial consisted of Dr. dra. Rita Damayanti, M.S.P.H.; Prof. Dr. Dr. Sudarto Ronoatmodjo, S.K.M., M.Sc.; Prof. Dr. Dr. Julianty Pradono, M.S., SpOK; Prof. Dr. Besral, S.K.M., M.Sc.; and Dr. Emi Nurjasmi, M. Kes. (ITM)