NutriPlay Heroes Program IPB University Students Present Moringa Snack Bars to Prevent Anemia in Teenagers
Students from IPB University have introduced a local superfood in the form of a nutritious snack bar made from moringa leaves as a creative solution to prevent anemia among adolescent girls. This innovation is part of the Student Creativity Program (PKM) titled NutriPlay Heroes, initiated by five IPB University students from various departments.
“We want to create an intervention that is not only effective, but also sustainable and replicable in other areas. This innovation is expected to be a modern alternative to supplementary feeding (PMT) that is in line with the lifestyle of today’s teenagers,” said Dzikrian Aji Hanafi, leader of the PKM team.
The high prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls has long been a concern for the government. Data from the Ministry of Health shows that the prevalence of anemia in women of childbearing age increased from 21,6 percent in 2018 to 22,3 percent in 2019.
In Dramaga Village, Bogor Regency—the target location of the PKM program—many adolescent girls avoid consuming iron tablets (TTD) due to complaints of side effects such as nausea and dizziness. Meanwhile, the habit of consuming foods high in carbohydrates and fats, such as fried foods and sweets, also exacerbates the risk of anemia.
“Anemia not only causes temporary weakness, but it can also reduce academic performance, productivity, and even have a long-term impact on the quality of future generations,” explained Dzikrian, the student team leader.
In addition, the NutriPlay Heroes program also includes interactive nutrition education with an emotional demonstration (Emo Demo) approach. This method helps teenagers understand and feel the importance of anemia prevention through a touching emotional experience.
“This program aims to increase teenagers’ awareness of the importance of iron intake, improve compliance in consuming TTD, and improve eating patterns to be healthier and richer in nutrients,” he explained.
Dzikrian explained that Dramaga Village was chosen because it has good local food potential and a community that is open to innovation. Support from local communities such as family empowerment and welfare (PKK) and posyandu also contributed to the success of this program.
The complete NutriPlay Heroes PKM team includes Dzikrian Aji Hanafi (Physics), Helga Audina and Dwi Harianto (Community Nutrition), Dinda Putri Selomitha (Landscape Architecture), and Nindy Hapsari Ningtyas (Sharia Economics). The program is supervised by Dr Cesilia Meti Dwiriani, a lecturer at the Department of Nutrition Science, IPB University. (dh) (IAAS/KQA)
