Pemberdayaan Kader Sebagai Optimalisasi Kesehatan melalui Edukasi Pentingnya Zat Besi dan Kalsium pada Masa Kehamilan

Abstract

Indonesia, as one of the countries with the highest maternal mortality rate (MMR), experiences increased body demand for iron during pregnancy, especially during the second and third trimesters. The amount of iron absorbed from food and the body's stores is usually insufficient to meet the mother's needs during pregnancy, so iron tablet supplementation is necessary to restore hemoglobin levels. During pregnancy, the fetus requires calcium intake for the development of strong bones and teeth. Calcium is also important for keeping a pregnant mother's heartbeat stable and for nerves and muscles to function properly. During pregnancy, the developing baby needs calcium to build strong bones and teeth; to develop a strong heart, nerves, and muscles; and to develop a normal heart rhythm and blood clotting ability. Based on interviews with health cadres, there are 20 pregnant mothers, most of whom are classified as High-Risk pregnancies, and some are classified as having Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED). There are 2 babies and toddlers with stunting. The intervention that can be carried out regarding the partner's problem is Empowering Cadres as an Optimization of Health Through education on the importance of Iron and Calcium during pregnancy. Through community service by providing counseling and cadre empowerment, it is hoped that the educated cadre group can accompany and monitor pregnant women and ensure that the iron and calcium tablets provided by healthcare workers are consumed during pregnancy, as well as the establishment of a Village government policy on accompanying pregnant women during pregnancy by trained cadre groups. The result is an increase in knowledge and awareness of the importance of consuming iron and calcium tablets during pregnancy after the activity was carried out, with knowledge about iron tablets increasing from 20% having good knowledge to 80%, and knowledge about calcium increasing from 10% having good knowledge to 85%. The hope is that the team of dedicated cadre groups can play an active role in educating pregnant women.