Mini Neuroscience Education: An Innovative Approach to Maternal Understanding of Child Development
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Mini Neuroscience Education as an innovative approach to improving mothers' understanding of child growth and development in community-based maternal health programs.
Methods: A quasi-experimental study with a one-group pretest–posttest design was conducted in Kabupaten Banjar, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, involving 40 mothers with children aged 12–36 months selected through purposive sampling. The inclusion criteria comprised mothers who were willing to participate, had children within the specified age range, and completed all study procedures. Mothers who did not complete the intervention sessions or submitted incomplete questionnaires were excluded. Participants received Mini Neuroscience Education through videos, visual illustrations, and interactive explanations. The posttest was administered immediately after the intervention on the same day. Data were collected using a validated 15-item questionnaire and analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Results: The mean score increased from 8.75 ± 2.10 at pretest to 12.88 ± 1.49 at posttest, with a mean difference of 4.13 ± 1.539. A statistically significant improvement was observed (Z = -5.481; p < 0.001), with 39 participants showing increased scores and one participant showing no change. The effect size (r = 0.88) indicated a very large intervention effect.
Conclusion: Mini Neuroscience Education demonstrated considerable potential as an innovative, practical, and community-friendly approach to enhancing maternal understanding of child growth and development.
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