Gambaran Pengetahuan tentang Mengonsumsi Makanan Kariogenik dengan Penyuluhan Media Komik Digital (Studi pada Siswa Kelas IV di SDN Keboananom Sidoarjo)

Abstract

Dental caries is a common oral health problem among school-aged children and is associated with the habit of consuming cariogenic foods. A preliminary examination of 10 fourth-grade students at SDN Keboananom Sidoarjo found a caries prevalence of 90% with a mean DMF-T score of 4.5, categorized as high. This study aimed to describe students' knowledge of cariogenic food consumption before and after health education using digital comic media. A descriptive design with a pre-test and post-test approach was used. Total sampling involved all 53 fourth-grade students. Data were collected using a 20-item questionnaire administered before and after the intervention. Health education was delivered three times on different days using digital comic media. Data were analyzed descriptively using percentages and mean scores. The mean knowledge score increased from 49% before the intervention, categorized as poor, to 92% after the intervention, categorized as good. The difference between the pre-test and post-test mean scores was 43 percentage points. These findings indicate that digital comics have potential as an oral health education medium suitable for elementary school students because they combine visual elements and text in an engaging format. Future studies should assess changes in attitudes and behaviors and consider analytical designs with comparison groups.