Diarrhea among young children remains a public health concern requiring serious attention, particularly in West Java. Recognizing this issue, Prof. Dr. drg. Ririn Arminsih W., M.Kes, a lecturer at the Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia (FPH UI), engaged directly with the community through a Community Service Program (Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat) in Tanah Sareal Subdistrict, Bogor City, on 11 November 2025. This program was funded by a Universitas Indonesia Lecturer Community Service Grant for 2025.
The activity aimed to improve public knowledge and awareness—especially among mothers of young children—regarding the importance of maintaining environmental health and adopting Clean and Healthy Living Behaviors (Perilaku Hidup Bersih dan Sehat/PHBS) as an early prevention strategy against diarrhea.
Diarrhea remains an endemic disease in Indonesia and poses a risk of outbreaks. Data show that the prevalence of diarrhea in West Java reaches 8.6 percent, higher than the national average of 8 percent. Moreover, the prevalence of diarrhea among children under five in the province stands at 14.4 percent, exceeding the national figure of 12.3 percent.
According to the West Java Provincial Health Office Health Profile 2024, Bogor City is among the areas with a relatively high number of diarrhea cases, with 34,656 cases across all age groups and 11,496 cases among children under five. Among all districts in Bogor City, Tanah Sareal District recorded the highest number of cases, totaling 2,026 cases.
In response to this situation, the educational outreach focused on mothers of young children as the frontline in diarrhea prevention within the household. The session was conducted at Kartini Integrated Health Post (Posyandu) RW 1 and was attended by approximately 45 children under five and their parents, coinciding with the routine posyandu activities. This area has also been identified as having the highest and steadily increasing number of diarrhea cases among young children each year.
The activity was attended by the Head of UPTD Puskesmas Tanah Sareal, drg. Masayu Rubianti, M.KM; the Head of the Community Health Section of Tanah Sareal Subdistrict, Resmah Herlina, S.E., M.A.; the Chair of Kartini Posyandu, Rosdiana; and the Chair of Dewi Sartika Posyandu, Siti Setiarini.
The program began with a pre-test to assess participants’ baseline knowledge of environmental sanitation and diarrhea prevention. This was followed by an educational session delivered by Prof. Ririn on the importance of environmental management, including the use of biopore infiltration holes as a simple solution for organic waste management. Biopores not only help reduce household waste but also improve water absorption and produce natural compost.
Beyond the presentation, participants took part in a hands-on demonstration on how to install biopore holes so they could independently apply the practice at home. The mothers also received pocket guidebooks containing information on diarrhea risk factors, environmental sanitation standards in accordance with Ministry of Health Regulation No. 2 of 2023, as well as guidance on biopore installation and its benefits.
To support practical implementation, the program distributed 20 biopore tubes and three biopore drilling tools for community use.
At the end of the session, participants completed a post-test, the results of which showed a significant increase in knowledge, indicating that the educational intervention was effective in improving mothers’ understanding of diarrhea prevention.
In addition to the counseling session, the team conducted home visits to interview mothers and directly observe PHBS practices and environmental sanitation conditions. A total of 51 respondents participated in this activity. The observations revealed that 86 percent of household toilets had non-waterproof flooring and improper slopes, potentially causing water stagnation. Furthermore, 60.8 percent of the areas surrounding toilets were assessed as unclean and malodorous—conditions that may increase the risk of disease transmission, including diarrhea.
Through this initiative, FPH UI hopes that the Tanah Sareal community will become increasingly aware of the importance of environmental sanitation and clean and healthy living behaviors to protect young children from diarrhea and to achieve a healthier quality of life.