Lecturers from the Faculty of Public Health (FKM) at Airlangga University (UNAIR) conducted a community service activity titled “Education on Adequate Fluid Consumption and Healthy Snacks, and Examination of Nutritional and Hydration Status of Elementary School Children” at SDN Markorojo VI, Surabaya. The activity was attended by two lecturers, Dr. Farapti MGizi and Dr. Muji Sulistyorowati SKM Kes, along with undergraduate students and alumni from the Nutrition program.
This activity was carried out independently without funding from the university or faculty, in collaboration with the school. Starting with data collection for theses from May to June, the community service activity continued at the end of June.
Dr. Farapti explained that the activity began with research conducted by undergraduate Nutrition students for their thesis data, choosing SDN Markorojo VI as the research location. “This is the first time the school has been used as a research site for students. The school was very welcoming and even offered formal cooperation through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the faculty,” she revealed.
Activities
During the activity, various educational activities were conducted, such as presenting research findings, educating about adequate fluid consumption and healthy snacks, and educational games using a tool called the “nutrition disc.” This disc is designed to measure hydration status and provide information about healthy foods. The tool has also been registered with Intellectual Property Rights (HKI) by the UNAIR team.
Farapti revealed that the school was very enthusiastic and fully supported the activity. “We were given a full day to carry out this activity. We presented research findings that showed many students were experiencing dehydration and malnutrition. We also provided education and various games to increase students’ knowledge,” she said.
Education
In addition to presenting research findings and education, UNAIR students introduced healthy food products in the form of snacks made from mung beans, spinach cakes, and herbal tea to the students. These products were given as examples of healthy foods that are easy to make and consume.
“We hope the students will accept and enjoy these healthy foods, even though most children usually do not like foods that contain vegetables or spices,” added Farapti.
The school was also provided with the nutrition disc tool and guidelines to independently assess students’ hydration status. Farapti explained that this tool could help the school continuously monitor students’ hydration conditions easily.
The concrete results of this activity include increased student knowledge about the importance of adequate fluid consumption and healthy eating, as well as the school’s understanding of students’ nutritional and hydration status. The school expressed appreciation and enthusiasm for the activity and is open to future research or community service collaborations.
“The students’ response was very positive. They were enthusiastic about participating in the activities, answering questions, and playing with the nutrition disc. This shows that they were able to absorb the information we provided well,” said Farapti.