The Effect of Maternal Empowerment on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Actions  in Preventing Childhood Tuberculosis

Destriani Destriani; Henni Kumaladewi Hengky; Fitriani Umar; Haniarti Haniarti; Usman Usman

Destriani Destriani Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Muhammadiyah Parepare
Henni Kumaladewi Hengky Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Muhammadiyah Parepare
Fitriani Umar Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Muhammadiyah Parepare
Haniarti Haniarti Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Muhammadiyah Parepare
Usman Usman Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Muhammadiyah Parepare

Keywords: Mother Empowerment, Childhood Tuberculosis, Health Application

Abstract

Tuberculosis disease in children remains a major health problem in Indonesia, including in Parepare. Increasing maternal knowledge and supporting changes in attitudes and behaviors can contribute to prevention efforts. One innovative approach is the use of health applications, such as 'Mom's TBChild Care', to empower mothers in preventing TB in children. The objective of this paper was to evaluate how the 'Mom’s TBChild Care' application affects mothers' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding tuberculosis prevention in children in Parepare. This research also aims to analyze whether the use of this application can provide a significant difference in knowledge and preventive actions between the treatment group and the control group. The research employs a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design. This study involves two groups: the treatment group that receives the health application and the control group that does not receive the application. The research sample consists of mothers who have children aged 0-14 years in Parepare City. Data collection was conducted using a questionnaire, and data analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests to compare changes between the treatment and control groups. Mothers using the application showed significantly greater knowledge, attitudes, and preventive actions against TB in children than the control group (p<0.05). These findings suggest that empowering mothers through the application can effectively enhance understanding and preventive actions against TB in children. Conclusion: Empowering mothers through the "Mom’s TBChild Care" application has an impact on knowledge, attitudes, and preventive actions against TB in children. It is recommended that mothers utilize this application as an educational tool to strengthen efforts to prevent TB in their children.