DEVELOPMENT & EVALUATION OF AN ANIMATED VIDEO ON HEALTHY WEIGHT GAIN AND ENERGY INTAKE DURING PREGNANCY FOR STUNTING PREVENTION

Abstract

Introduction: Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is crucial for foetal growth, infant health, and survival. Undernutrition in expectant mothers can cause foetal intrauterine growth retardation, low birth weight, and child stunting. As such, effective communication of nutritional information is essential for promoting healthy behaviours among pregnant women. However, despite the worrying prevalence of stunting in Malaysia and the important role of maternal nutrition during the first thousand days of life, there are limited education tools available regarding the recommended maternal nutrition for stunting prevention. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and evaluate an animated video on healthy weight gain and the recommended total calorie intake during pregnancy to prevent stunting. Methodology: A design-and-development research method was employed to create the video, incorporating expert reviews and systematic evaluation processes. The video content was derived from established guidelines and refined through expert workshops. The Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) tool and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials (PEMAT-A/V) were used to evaluate the video’s suitability, understandability, and actionability. This was conducted among a panel of six experts and a subsample of target viewers, comprising 30 women who were pregnant or had been pregnant within the previous 12 months. Results: The video received a 72% suitability score, categorising it as superior material. Experts rated the video’s understandability at 80% and actionability at 92%, while the target viewers rated understandability at 92% and actionability at 93%. The video effectively communicated the importance of healthy weight gain during pregnancy and adequate energy intake, providing actionable steps for women to follow. Conclusion: The newly developed animated video was demonstrated to have desirable levels of suitability, understandability, and actionability. This indicates the animated video's potential as a nutrition education tool to deliver nutritional knowledge to pregnant mothers and prevent stunting prevalence in their children.