Depok, 23 November 2025 — The Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Universitas Indonesia (UI), has introduced a simple yet effective educational innovation to support efforts in accelerating stunting reduction within the community. Through the learning media “Smart Nutrition Puzzle: Prevent Stunting with Balanced Nutrition”, FPH UI strengthens the capacity of posyandu cadres in delivering nutrition messages in a more engaging, interactive, and easy-to-understand manner for mothers of toddlers. This initiative aligns with FPH UI’s commitment as part of UI’s vision to be Excellent and Impactful, continuously providing science-based solutions to address public health challenges.
The Smart Nutrition Puzzle consists of 16 puzzle pieces featuring the “Isi Piringku” (My Plate) illustration, each equipped with educational questions on the back, ranging from “What should be on a toddler’s plate?” to “What is responsive feeding?” The media is designed to help cadres deliver nutrition information through a play-and-learn approach, making important messages about balanced diets easier to understand and remember.
This community engagement program is led by Triyanti, S.K.M., M.Sc., Lecturer at the Department of Nutrition, FPH UI. The program began with a Training of Trainers (ToT) for 20 cadres representing five RW in Kampung Lio, conducted at Pancoran Mas Community Health Center (Puskesmas). The session was opened by the Head of the Puskesmas, dr. Euis Siti Nuryani, who emphasized the importance of simple, memorable, and contextually relevant educational methods to help mothers understand nutrition messages more quickly.
During the ToT, Triyanti—together with Nurul Dina Rahmawati, S.Gz., M.Sc., and four students from the Nutrition Study Program—provided not only theoretical explanations regarding stunting and balanced nutrition but also introduced the use of the Smart Nutrition Puzzle and effective communication techniques. This approach aims to enable cadres to deliver education in a warm, non-patronizing manner while encouraging positive behavior change among mothers of toddlers.
Following the training, the program continued with field mentoring across five posyandu from 11–14 November 2025. The community engagement team, accompanied by FPH UI Professor Prof. Dr. drg. Sandra Fikawati, M.P.H. and Head of the Nutrition Department dr. Fathimah S. Sigit, M.Res., Ph.D., supported cadres in directly applying the puzzle method during educational sessions. A total of 40 mothers of toddlers benefited directly from this activity.
In each session, cadres guided mothers in assembling the puzzle to form the image “Balanced Plate: Healthy & Smart Child.” Afterward, each mother picked one puzzle piece and answered the question written on the back. These questions were closely related to stunting prevention, including growth monitoring, sources of animal protein, and the risks of excessive sugar consumption. This interactive method created a livelier learning atmosphere; mothers became more engaged, asked more questions, and found it easier to recall the information shared. Cadres also reported that the puzzle-based method increased their confidence in delivering health education.
In addition to the puzzle, cadres received a Nutrition Module and a Puzzle User Guide to ensure independent continuation of educational activities. All three educational tools have also been awarded an Intellectual Property Rights Registration Certificate (HKI) on 21 November 2025. The presence of lecturers and professors in the mentoring process reflects FPH UI’s strong commitment to strengthening the capacity of posyandu cadres as frontline actors in stunting prevention.
“We want cadres not only to understand the concept of stunting but also to be able to explain it to mothers in a fun and approachable way. This puzzle serves as an effective communication bridge,” said Triyanti.
The Smart Nutrition Puzzle innovation demonstrates FPH UI’s concrete contribution to fulfilling the Tri Dharma of Higher Education while strengthening UI’s role as a university that delivers solutions that are Excellent, Impactful, and responsive to community needs. With its simple yet effective educational approach, this initiative is expected to help more families understand the importance of balanced nutrition in preventing stunting, thereby supporting the optimal health and development of Indonesian children. (Nutrition)