Health Promotion of Families and Early Childhood Education Teachers in Improving Cognition, Commitment and Behavior to Prevent COVID-19 Transmission in Children

Abstract

Introduction: Indonesia was entering the COVID-19 emergency response period, as indicated by the increase in COVID-19 cases and the risk of transmission in high-risk groups, one of which is children. The increase in COVID-19 cases has not been followed by compliance with COVID-19 transmission prevention behaviour in the community, especially among children. This research aimed to improve the cognition, commitment and behaviour of COVID-19 prevention during the COVID-19 emergency through the health promotion of families and kindergarten teachers. M ethods: The research design used a quasi-experiment, with a sample of 100 pre-school age children divided into two groups using simple random sampling techniques. Independent variables included health promotion of families and teachers using pocketbook media, children’s new life adaptation logbook, educational videos, and variable dependents included cognition, commitment and preventive behaviour of COVID-19 in pre-school children. The instrument used is a questionnaire, statisticaltest using Wilcoxon rank test, pair t-test, and Mann Whitney. Results: The study results found that health promotion using pocketbooks, AKB logbooks and WhatsApp group media, and educational videos improved cognition, commitment and behaviour of COVID-19 prevention because it provides information directly to families and teachers. For seven days, under the supervision, assistance, and facilitation ofteachers, the child performs health protocol in school and, through the help of parents, carries out the process at home. This is what helps children get used to the adaptation of new life in the COVID-19 emergency. Conclusion: There is an improvement in cognition, commitment and preventive behaviour of COVID-19 in children after health promotion.