Background Stunting is still one of the public health problems that has an impact on physical growth, cognitive development, and the quality of human resources. Low nutritional literacy of parents is one of the factors that contribute to suboptimal parenting practices in stunting prevention. The development of digital technology provides opportunities to improve nutritional literacy through technopedagogic approaches that integrate technology, learning strategies, and educational materials. This research aims to explore the implementation of technopedagogic approaches in strengthening parental nutritional literacy as a stunting prevention strategy in early childhood. Method This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study design carried out in Bekasi Regency, West Java, Indonesia. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique consisting of 20 parents who have children aged 0–5 years, two PAUD teachers, two Posyandu cadres, and one nutritionist from the Health Center. Data were collected through participatory observation, semi-structured interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and document analysis. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke stages. Results The research produced five main themes, namely low nutritional literacy of parents before participating in the program, increasing participant involvement through technopedagogic-based learning, improving the ability to understand and evaluate nutritional information, changing parenting practices that are more responsive to children’s nutritional needs, and supporting and inhibiting factors for program implementation. The integration of digital media, adult learning principles, and collaborative mentoring provides a more meaningful learning experience and encourages changes in parental behavior in parenting practices. Conclusion The technopedagogic approach has the potential to strengthen parental nutritional literacy and improve parenting practices as a stunting prevention strategy in early childhood. The integration of digital technology with pedagogical strategies can be an innovative model in the development of family-based nutrition education programs to support the acceleration of stunting reduction in Indonesia.
Stunting is still one of the main challenges in global public health development because it has an impact on physical growth, cognitive development, learning achievement, economic productivity, and the quality of human resources in the future. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2024),1 stunting is a condition of failure to grow in children characterized by height according to age being below minus two standard deviations (<−2 SD) based on WHO child growth standards as a result of chronic malnutrition, recurrent infections, and inadequate parenting practices during the First 1,000 Days of Life (HPK) period. The impact of stunting not only occurs in childhood, but also increases the risk of low learning ability, decreased work productivity, and increased incidence of non-communicable diseases in adulthood.2 Therefore, stunting prevention has become one of the top priorities in the sustainable development agenda in various countries.
Despite various interventions, the prevalence of stunting is still a public health problem in many developing countries. A UNICEF and WHO report (2024) shows that around 148 million children under five in the world are still stunted. Indonesia is one of the countries that pays great attention to accelerating stunting reduction through various cross-sectoral policies (UNICEF, 2024; WHO, 2024).1,3 Based on the 2024 Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI), the national prevalence of stunting has decreased to 19.8%, but this figure still shows that there is a gap between regions, parental education levels, family socioeconomic conditions, and access to health and nutrition information (Health Development Policy Agency, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, 2025).4 This condition shows that handling stunting is not enough only through health services, but also requires strengthening the capacity of families as the first environment that plays a role in children’s growth and development.
Various studies show that parenting practices have a close relationship with a child’s nutritional status. Parents play a role in determining diet, breastfeeding, complementary breastfeeding (MPASI), utilization of health services, and stimulating child development. Responsive parenting practices have been shown to contribute to optimal growth, while inappropriate parenting practices increase the risk of chronic malnutrition and.5,6 Thus, the success of stunting prevention programs is greatly influenced by the ability of parents to understand and apply nutritional information appropriately in daily life.
One of the competencies that plays an important role in supporting parenting practices is nutritional literacy. Nutritional literacy not only reflects a person’s ability to obtain information about nutrition, but also the ability to understand, evaluate, and use that information to make the right decisions in meeting the nutritional needs of the family.7 Parents who have good nutritional literacy tend to be better able to choose nutritious food, understand nutritional value information labels, prepare balanced menus, and implement healthy diets for children. On the other hand, low nutritional literacy often leads to misconceptions about child feeding and has an impact on the low quality of family food consumption.8
The development of digital technology has changed the way people obtain health information, including information about nutrition and childcare. Parents now use various digital media, such as health applications, social media, educational videos, and online learning platforms as the main source of information. This ease of access provides a great opportunity to improve people’s nutritional literacy, but also presents challenges in the form of an abundance of information that is not necessarily valid and based on scientific evidence. Therefore, improving nutritional literacy is not enough only through the provision of digital information, but also requires a learning approach that is able to help parents understand, evaluate, and apply this information appropriately in daily parenting practices.1,9
One of the approaches that is considered relevant is technopedagogic, which is the integration of digital technology, pedagogical strategies, and learning materials to create a more interactive, contextual, and student-centered learning experience.10,11,12 In the context of family education, the technopedagogic approach allows the delivery of nutrition education through various digital media such as interactive videos, electronic modules, infographics, smartphone-based applications, Microlearning, as well as online discussion forums. Integration of technology with adult learning strategies (Andragogy) allows parents to learn based on experiences, real needs, and problems faced in daily life so that the learning process becomes more meaningful and has the potential to produce sustainable behavior change.13,14
Various studies over the past decade have shown that the use of digital technology in health education has a positive impact on improving family health knowledge and behavior. Intervention-based Mobile Health (mHealth), social media, and educational applications are reported to be able to increase maternal knowledge about nutrition, improve complementary breastfeeding practices (MPASI), increase the diversity of food consumption, and strengthen family involvement in monitoring child growth.15 However, most studies still position technology as a medium for delivering information, while pedagogical aspects that support the parent’s learning process have not received much attention. In fact, changes in health behavior are not only influenced by the amount of information received, but also by the quality of learning experiences, reflections, social interactions, and opportunities to apply knowledge in daily life.16,17,18
Literature review also shows that research on stunting prevention in Indonesia focuses more on the effectiveness of digital educational media or increasing maternal knowledge after intervention. Research that integrates nutritional literacy, responsive parenting, and technopedagogy in a single conceptual framework is still very limited. In addition, most of the interventions have not been based on adult learning theories or the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, so they have not been able to explain how technology can facilitate sustainable changes in parenting behaviors. This gap shows the need to develop an educational model that not only utilizes technology as a communication medium, but also as a means of building parental knowledge, skills, and decision-making skills in meeting children’s nutritional needs.19,20,21
Based on these conditions, this research offers novelty through the development of a technopedagogic approach as a strategy to strengthen parental nutritional literacy in the prevention of stunting in early childhood. In contrast to previous research that focused on the use of digital media as a tool for delivering information, this study views technopedagogy as a learning ecosystem that integrates digital technology, adult learning strategies, nutrition literacy materials, and responsive parenting practices. This approach is expected not only to increase parents’ knowledge, but also to build critical thinking skills, evaluate health information, and change parenting practices to be more adaptive to children’s growth and development needs.
Theoretically, this research contributes to the development of technopedagogic studies in the context of family education and public health by expanding the application of the TPACK framework into community-based nutrition education. Practically, the results of the research are expected to be the basis for the government, health centers, posyandu, early childhood education units, and community organizations in designing nutrition education programs that are more innovative, participatory, and sustainable through the use of digital technology. Therefore, this study aims to analyze how strengthening parental nutritional literacy through a technopedagogic approach can improve parenting practices as a stunting prevention strategy in early childhood. The results of the research are expected to make a scientific contribution to the development of technology-based family education models while supporting efforts to accelerate stunting reduction in Indonesia.
Stunting is a form of chronic malnutrition that occurs due to long-term lack of nutritional intake, recurrent infections, and low quality of the care environment during the First 1,000 Days of Life (HPK) period. This condition is not only characterized by stunted physical growth, but is also related to a decrease in cognitive development, neurological function, learning ability, economic productivity, and an increased risk of degenerative diseases in adulthood (Black et al., 2013). Therefore, stunting is no longer seen as a health problem alone, but has developed into a human development issue that requires a multidisciplinary approach.
The conceptual framework developed by UNICEF explains that the causes of stunting consist of direct causes, indirect causes, and basic causes. Direct causes include low nutritional intake and infectious diseases, while indirect causes are related to family food security, access to health services, sanitation, parental education, and childcare practices. Meanwhile, the basic causes are influenced by social, economic, cultural, and public policy conditions that determine the quality of life of the community. Thus, stunting prevention efforts require cross-sectoral interventions that place families as the main actors in meeting the nutritional needs and development of children (UNICEF et al., 2024).
Recent research shows that family-centered interventions have a more sustainable impact than interventions that focus solely on health services. Family education on feeding practices, growth monitoring, sanitation, and developmental stimulation has been proven to be able to improve the nutritional status of toddlers while strengthening family capacity in preventing stunting.
Nutrition literacy is a development of the concept of health literacy that emphasizes the ability of individuals to obtain, understand, evaluate, and use nutritional information to make appropriate decisions about food consumption and family health (Velardo, 2015). Nutritional literacy not only reflects a person’s level of knowledge about nutrients, but also the ability to translate that information into healthy eating behaviors.
In the family context, parents are the main decision-makers related to food selection, menu preparation, breastfeeding, complementary foods, and the formation of children’s eating habits. Therefore, the level of parental nutritional literacy is closely related to the quality of food consumption and the nutritional status of children. Research shows that low nutritional literacy is often associated with low food diversity, high consumption of ultra-processed foods, feeding practice errors, and delays in detecting growth disorders in toddlers. On the contrary, increased nutritional literacy has been shown to contribute to changes in healthier feeding behaviors.
Furthermore, nutritional literacy is also influenced by education level, access to health information, ability to use digital technology, socioeconomic conditions, and family culture. Therefore, improving nutritional literacy is not enough to be done through conventional counseling, but requires a learning strategy that is able to develop critical thinking skills, information evaluation, and the application of knowledge in daily life.
Parenting is the process of fulfilling the physical, emotional, social, and developmental needs of children that are carried out continuously by parents and primary caregivers. In stunting prevention, parenting practices include exclusive breastfeeding, age-appropriate complementary foods, growth monitoring, utilization of health services, maintaining environmental cleanliness, and providing developmental stimulation.
The Nurturing Care Framework developed by WHO, UNICEF, and global partners emphasizes that responsive parenting is one of the main components in supporting optimal child growth and development. Responsive parenting allows parents to understand their children’s needs appropriately so that they can provide nutrition, protection, and stimulation according to developmental stages. Conversely, inappropriate parenting practices increase the risk of chronic malnutrition and child developmental disorders.
The results of various studies show that family education regarding parenting practices is able to improve parental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in preventing stunting. Interventions accompanied by practical training and mentoring provide more effective results than education in the form of information delivery alone.
The development of digital technology has changed the paradigm of people’s learning. In the context of health education, technology is no longer only used as a medium for delivering information, but also as a means of building an interactive and student-centered learning experience.
The concept of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) introduced by Mishra and Koehler (2006)22 explains that effective learning occurs through the integration of technology, pedagogical strategies, and learning content. The integration of these three components is known as technopedagogic, which is an approach that utilizes digital technology in a meaningful way in the learning process.
In this study, technopedagogy is positioned as a family education approach that combines digital media, adult learning principles (Andragogy), and nutrition literacy materials. This approach allows parents to learn through interactive videos, infographics, menu preparation simulations, digital quizzes, discussion forums, and online consultations with health workers. Through flexible and contextual learning, parents are expected to be able to build a deeper understanding while applying this knowledge in their daily parenting practices.23,24
Various studies in the last five years have shown that the use of digital technology has a positive impact on improving people’s nutritional literacy. Smartphone-based health applications, social media, educational videos, and online learning platforms are able to improve knowledge, attitudes, and feeding practices for mothers with toddlers. In addition to increasing access to information, digital media also expands the reach of health education to areas that have limited health workers (Harjatmo et al., 2022; Ronitawati et al., 2022; Yulia et al., 2021).25,26
Nonetheless, various studies also show that the success of digital interventions is highly dependent on the learning design used. Apps that only provide information without interaction tend to result in low behavior change. In contrast, interventions that integrate video, feedback, mentoring, and reflection activities have a greater impact on improving nutrition literacy and child feeding practices.
This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study design to explore the implementation of technopedagogic approaches in improving parental nutritional literacy as a stunting prevention strategy in early childhood. The case study design was chosen because it allows researchers to deeply understand a phenomenon in a real context, including interactions between participants, the learning process, the use of digital technology, and changes in parenting practices that occur during the program.28 The study focused on parents’ experiences during the participation of technopedagogic-based educational programs and did not aim to test the effectiveness of the intervention experimentally.
The research was carried out in several Posyandu and Early Childhood Education (PAUD) units in Bekasi Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia. The location was chosen purposively because it is an area that is actively implementing programs to accelerate stunting reduction and has utilized digital media in family education activities. The education program lasted for eight weeks using a blended learning approach, which is a combination of face-to-face learning and online learning. The material was delivered through educational videos, digital infographics, electronic modules (e-modules ), discussions through WhatsApp groups, and online consultations with PAUD teachers, Posyandu cadres, and nutritionists.
Participants were selected using purposive sampling techniques based on suitability for the research objectives. Inclusion criteria include parents or primary caregivers who have children aged 0–5 years, follow the entire set of educational programs, and are willing to participate in the research. Meanwhile, participants who did not complete all activities or were unwilling to take part in the interview were excluded from the study. A total of 20 parents were the main participants, while two PAUD teachers, two Posyandu cadres, and one Puskesmas nutritionist were involved as supporting informants to obtain a more comprehensive perspective on program implementation and changes in parenting practices.
The educational program is designed based on the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework that integrates technology, pedagogy, and learning materials (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). The material provided includes the basic concepts of stunting, early childhood nutritional needs, exclusive breastfeeding, complementary foods, preparation of a balanced nutrition menu, responsive parenting practices, and child growth monitoring. The learning process utilizes educational videos, infographics, electronic modules, Google Forms, WhatsApp Groups, and Google Meet to support interaction, reflection, and consultation. The learning strategy refers to the principles of andragogy, so that participants are encouraged to learn through discussion, experiential reflection, problem-solving, case simulation, and hands-on practice at home. This approach is expected to be able to increase nutritional literacy while encouraging sustainable changes in parenting behavior.
Data was collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and document analysis to gain an in-depth understanding of program implementation. Observations were made during the learning process to document participant engagement, digital media use, and changes in parenting practices. Interviews were conducted with all informants using guidelines compiled based on research objectives, with a duration of about 45–60 minutes. The questions focused on the experience of participating in the program, the ease of use of technology, changes in understanding of nutrition, changes in parenting practices, as well as factors that support and inhibit implementation. In addition, the FGD was held at the end of the program by involving parents, early childhood education teachers, Posyandu cadres, and nutritionists to evaluate the benefits and challenges of the program. Document analysis was carried out on learning modules, the results of participant reflections, recordings of WhatsApp discussions, participant assignments, activity documentation, and field notes as supporting data as well as a form of triangulation.
The data were analyzed using Thematic Analysis developed by Braun and Clarke (2022).29 The analysis began by transcribing the results of the interview verbatim, then reading all the data repeatedly to understand the context of the research. Next, open coding is carried out, which is the provision of codes on each relevant information, then the codes are grouped into categories and developed into main themes. The resulting themes were reviewed to ensure consistency and conformity with the overall data, then interpreted based on the TPACK framework and the concept of nutrition literacy. To increase the credibility of the research results, the researcher applies data triangulation, Peer Debriefing, and member checking.
The validity of the research is guaranteed using the four criteria put forward by Lincoln and Guba (1985),30 namely credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. Credibility achieved through triangulation of sources and methods and member checking. Transferability is maintained by providing detailed descriptions of the research context and the characteristics of the participants. Dependability ensured through documentation of the entire research process in the form of trail audits, while Confirmability It is carried out by basing all interpretations on empirical data, accompanied by reflection by researchers and storage of all research documents as auditable evidence.
This research has obtained ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee of Panca Sakti University Bekasi (Number: 003/LPPM. ECC/PSUB/V/2026). All participants receive an explanation of the objectives, procedures, benefits, potential risks, and the right to terminate participation at any time without consequences. Consent is obtained through verbal consent and written informed consent before data collection is carried out. All participants’ identities are anonymized using a code to maintain confidentiality, while all research data is stored in a protected media and can only be accessed by the research team.
A total of 25 participants were involved in this study, consisting of parents, PAUD teachers, Posyandu cadres, and Puskesmas nutritionists. The majority of participants were women with high school to university education. All participants participated in a series of technopedagogic-based educational programs for eight weeks. The complete characteristics of the participants are presented in Table 1.
The thematic analysis produced five main themes that describe the experience of parents in participating in technopedagogic-based nutrition literacy strengthening programs. The five themes include: (1) low nutritional literacy before participating in the program, (2) increasing parental involvement through technopedagogic learning, (3) increasing nutritional literacy and the ability to evaluate health information, (4) changes in parenting practices in stunting prevention, and (5) supporting and inhibiting factors for program implementation. Each theme was obtained through the process of coding, categorization, and interpretation of data from in-depth interviews and observations during the implementation of the program. A summary of the themes and subthemes that emerged from the analysis is presented in Table 2.
The results of the analysis showed that most parents had low nutritional literacy before participating in technopedagogic-based education programs. This condition can be seen from the limited understanding of the concept of stunting, its causes, long-term impacts, and early childhood nutritional needs. Most participants attributed stunting only to the child’s short body condition without understanding its effect on brain development, learning ability, and health in adulthood. In addition, parents still have difficulties in choosing nutritious food, reading nutritional value information labels on food products, and determining menus that suit children’s needs. The results of the observation also showed that most of the participants still relied on information from social media or family experiences without verifying the source of information used.
The findings were strengthened by the results of interviews with several participants. One of the mothers said, “I know that stunting is only a child with a short body. I don’t know if it can affect children’s intelligence later.” (P7). Another participant also revealed, “If I buy packaged food, I usually just buy it immediately, never paying attention to the nutritional content.” (P12). Based on these quotes, it can be understood that low nutritional literacy causes parents to not be able to comprehensively understand health information, potentially affecting feeding and childcare practices.
The results of the study show that the technopedagogic approach increases parental involvement during the education program. The use of learning videos, digital infographics, WhatsApp Group, and Google Meet provides participants with the opportunity to learn flexibly according to their time. Observations show that the intensity of the discussions increases every week, characterized by an increasing number of questions, responses, and sharing of experiences between participants. The experiential learning approach also encourages parents to connect the material learned with the parenting conditions they face on a daily basis so that the learning process becomes more meaningful.
Some participants said that digital media makes it easier for them to understand the material compared to conventional counseling. One of the participants stated, “I can play the video again if I don’t understand, so it’s easier to remember the material.” (P4). Another participant said, “In a WhatsApp group, I am more courageous to ask questions than during a face-to-face meeting because I can ask questions at any time.” (P9). The PAUD teacher also revealed, “The discussion becomes more active because almost every day there are parents who ask about the food menu or children’s development.” (G2). The findings show that the integration of technology with learning strategies is able to increase the active participation of parents in the educational process.
After participating in the program, there is an increase in parents’ understanding of children’s nutritional needs, the causes of stunting, the principles of balanced nutrition, and how to obtain correct health information. Parents are beginning to be able to distinguish information based on scientific evidence from information that cannot be accounted for. In addition, participants showed better ability to read food labels, choose groceries, and prepare a more varied menu according to children’s needs. The results of the analysis also show that the process of reflection and discussion during learning plays an important role in improving participants’ critical thinking skills towards nutritional information obtained from digital media.
The increase was reflected in the statements of several participants. One of the participants said, “Now if there is information on social media I don’t immediately believe it, I check the Ministry of Health’s website first or ask the Posyandu cadres.” (P15). Another participant said, “I learned that children’s menus should have vegetables, fruits, protein, and not just rice with side dishes.” (P18). The nutritionist of the Puskesmas also stated, “Parents’ questions after participating in the program are much more critical and show that they already understand the basic concepts of child nutrition.” (AG1). These findings show that the technopedagogic approach is able to improve nutritional literacy not only in terms of knowledge, but also the ability to evaluate and utilize health information appropriately.
The results showed that increasing nutritional literacy was followed by changes in parenting practices that were more responsive to children’s needs. Most parents have started to implement a more regular diet, prepare a weekly menu based on balanced nutrition principles, reduce the consumption of high-sugar foods and instant foods, and more regularly monitor children’s growth at the Posyandu. Observations during the program also showed an increase in the involvement of fathers and other family members in preparing meals and accompanying children during meals. These changes show that technopedagogic-based learning not only improves knowledge, but also encourages the application of healthy behaviors in daily life.
These behavioral changes were strengthened through the results of interviews. One mother explained: “Now I make a weekly meal schedule and menu so that my children eat more regularly and have more complete nutrition.” (P10). Another participant said, “I used to rarely come to the Posyandu, now every month I always bring my children to be weighed.” (P6). Posyandu cadres also revealed, “After the program is completed, the number of mothers who come to the Posyandu increases and they are more active in asking questions about the growth of children.” (F1). These findings show that increasing nutritional literacy through technopedagogic-based learning is able to encourage changes in parenting practices that support stunting prevention.
The analysis showed that the success of the program implementation was influenced by several supporting factors, including the ease of use of digital media, the support of PAUD teachers, Posyandu cadres, and nutritionists, as well as parental motivation to improve children’s health. The flexibility of learning allows participants to access the material at any time making it easier to adapt to daily activities. However, the study also found several obstacles, such as limited internet access, low digital skills for some participants, and limited time due to work and household activities. These obstacles affect the intensity of participation of some parents while participating in online learning.
This condition is reflected in the results of participant interviews. One participant said, “If the internet signal is bad I can’t join the meeting through Google Meet.” (P3). Another participant said, “I usually only have time to open the material after the child has gone to bed because of the day’s work.” (P17). The PAUD teacher explained, “Even though there are some obstacles, parents can still learn because all the material is stored on WhatsApp so that it can be relearned.” (G1). These findings show that the success of technopedagogic programs is influenced by a combination of technological readiness, learning environment support, and parental commitment to follow the learning process.
The results of the study show that before participating in technopedagogic-based education programs, most parents have limited nutritional literacy, especially in understanding the concept of stunting, early childhood nutritional needs, and feeding practices that are in accordance with the stages of child development. These findings show that low nutritional literacy is still a major challenge in stunting prevention efforts. This condition is in line with various studies that state that the lack of parental knowledge about nutrition and parenting is one of the main determinants of the high prevalence of stunting in developing countries. Low nutritional literacy causes parents to have difficulty understanding health information, choosing credible sources of information, and implementing feeding practices that are in accordance with scientific recommendations, thereby increasing the risk of growth disorders in children.
The findings of this study also reinforce the conceptual framework developed by UNICEF on the causes of stunting, which places parenting practices and family knowledge as indirect causes that strongly determine a child’s nutritional status.31 Parents are the main decision-makers in the family related to food selection, breastfeeding, complementary breastfeeding (MPASI), and the use of health services. Therefore, the limitations of nutrition literacy not only have an impact on low knowledge, but also affect the quality of decisions made in meeting children’s nutritional needs. This condition explains why interventions that focus on increasing family capacity are an important part of strategies to accelerate stunting reduction in various countries.
The study also found that technopedagogic approaches are able to increase parents’ access to health information while increasing their involvement in the learning process. The use of educational videos, digital infographics, WhatsApp Groups, electronic modules, and online consultations provides flexibility for parents to learn according to their own time and needs. The results of the observation showed that participants were not only passive recipients of information, but also actively discussed, asked, shared experiences, and reflected on parenting practices that had been carried out at home. This shows that digital technology combined with the right learning strategies is able to create a more meaningful learning experience than conventional counseling.32
These findings are consistent with the results systematic review which shows that digital interventions, such as health apps, social media, educational videos, and online learning platforms, are significantly able to improve parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices in stunting prevention.33 However, the effectiveness of technology is greatly influenced by the quality of learning design, the intensity of mentoring, and the ability of participants to utilize digital media.34 In other words, technology does not automatically generate behavioral changes, but must be integrated with pedagogical strategies that are able to facilitate an active and contextual learning process.
The technopedagogic approach applied in this study is based on the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework which emphasizes the importance of integration between technology, pedagogy, and learning materials. In the context of this research, technology not only functions as a medium for delivering information, but also as a means to build interaction, reflection, collaboration, and parental learning experiences. The integration allows participants to obtain information about nutrition gradually through various forms of learning media that are in accordance with the characteristics of adult learners. This approach is in line with the theory of andragogy which states that adults learn more effectively when the material learned is directly related to the experiences and problems they face in their daily lives.11,35
One of the important findings in this study is the increase in nutritional literacy of parents after participating in technopedagogic-based education programs. The improvement is not only seen in the ability to understand the concept of stunting, but also in the ability to evaluate health information, read the nutritional value labels of food products, prepare a balanced nutritional menu, and distinguish between valid and invalid health information. These findings show that nutritional literacy is not only an increase in knowledge, but also an increase in critical thinking skills in using health information to make the right decisions for families.36,37
The results of this study support previous studies that have reported that the use of digital applications and technology-based learning media can improve maternal nutrition literacy through improving child-feeding knowledge, attitudes, and practices.38,39 Recent systematic studies show that smartphone-based applications combined with educational and counseling videos have a positive impact on mothers’ ability to understand their child’s nutritional needs and apply them in daily life. In addition, family education accompanied by direct practice and mentoring has proven to be more effective than one-way information delivery because it is able to change behavior, not just increase knowledge.27,40,41
The findings show that the success of the program is not only influenced by the use of digital technology, but also by how the technology is designed as part of a systematic learning process. Thus, the technopedagogic approach can be seen as an innovative strategy that integrates digital literacy, nutritional literacy, and adult learning to form more adaptive parenting behaviors in preventing stunting in early childhood.
The findings of the study show that increasing nutritional literacy through a technopedagogic approach not only results in an increase in parental knowledge, but is also followed by a change in parenting practices that are more adaptive to the needs of children’s growth and development. These changes can be seen from the increasing habits of parents in compiling a balanced nutritional menu, providing more diverse food, conducting regular growth monitoring at Posyandu, and being more selective in choosing health information obtained from digital media. These results show that a systematically designed learning process through the integration of technology, pedagogy, and nutritional content is able to encourage behavior change, not just improve conceptual understanding. Such behavior changes are an important indicator because the success of stunting prevention ultimately depends heavily on parenting practices that are consistently applied in daily life.42,43
The findings reinforce the theory of health behavior change that explains that increased knowledge is an important prerequisite, but is not enough to produce behavior change if it is not accompanied by contextual learning experiences, opportunities for practice, reflection, and feedback. In this study, parents not only received material on stunting and nutrition, but also simulated menu preparation, discussed problems faced at home, and received assistance through digital media. The process allows participants to connect new information with their parenting experiences so that learning becomes more meaningful. These results are in line with various studies that show that practice-based educational interventions have a more sustainable impact than counseling that is only oriented towards information transfer.2,44,45
This study also found that the success of the implementation of technopedagogic was influenced by several supporting factors, namely the ease of use of digital media, flexibility of learning time, support for PAUD teachers and Posyandu cadres, and parental motivation to improve children’s health. The flexibility of learning allows parents to access the material at any time without interrupting work or household activities. In addition, the use of WhatsApp Group as a discussion space creates a learning community that encourages the exchange of experiences between participants. These interactions reinforce social learning (Social Learning), where participants learn not only from the facilitator, but also from the experiences of fellow parents. These results show that the success of educational technology is not only determined by the quality of the media, but also by the formation of a collaborative learning environment (Firdaus, 2021; Firdaus et al., 2021; Yulia et al., 2021).46,47,25
Nevertheless, this study also identifies several obstacles that need to be considered in the implementation of technopedagogic-based programs. Some parents experience limited internet access, low ability to use digital technology, and limited time to participate in all learning activities. These obstacles show that digital transformation in health education has not been able to fully reach all community groups equally. Therefore, the development of digital education programs needs to consider the readiness of infrastructure, the level of digital literacy of the community, and the socio-economic characteristics of the participants so that interventions can be implemented in a more inclusive manner. Various studies on digital interventions for stunting prevention also report that the effectiveness of technology is greatly influenced by internet access, cultural relevance, and continuous assistance from health workers and community cadres.
This research shows that the technopedagogic approach is an effective strategy to strengthen parental nutritional literacy in supporting efforts to prevent stunting in early childhood. The integration of digital technology, adult learning strategies, and nutrition literacy materials creates a more interactive, flexible, and contextual learning experience, thus not only increasing parents’ knowledge about stunting and children’s nutritional needs, but also encouraging changes in more responsive parenting practices. Parents become better able to understand evidence-based nutritional information, develop a more balanced diet, make optimal use of health services, and implement parenting practices that support optimal child growth and development.
The results of the study also showed that the success of the program implementation was influenced by the ease of access to digital media, support from PAUD teachers, Posyandu cadres, and health workers, and the active involvement of parents during the learning process. On the other hand, the limitations of digital literacy, internet access, and learning time are challenges that need to be considered in the development of similar programs. Therefore, the success of the application of technopedagogic does not only depend on the availability of technology, but also on learning design that is centered on the needs of participants and the existence of continuous mentoring.
The main contribution of this research is to offer a new conceptual framework that integrates technopedagogic, nutritional literacy, and parenting practices as strategies to prevent stunting in early childhood. In contrast to previous research that emphasized the use of digital media as a means of delivering information, this study shows that technology will have a more meaningful impact when combined with pedagogical strategies that are able to encourage reflection, collaboration, problem-solving, and behavior change. Thus, this study expands the application of the concept of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) from the context of formal education to community-based family health education.
Practically, the results of the study provide implications for the government, health centers, posyandu, PAUD units, and community organizations to develop a technopedagogic-based stunting prevention education program as part of efforts to accelerate stunting reduction in Indonesia. The use of digital media such as interactive videos, electronic modules, smartphone-based applications, and online learning communities can be combined with mentoring by health workers and educators to increase the effectiveness of family education. This approach has the potential to increase the reach of educational services, especially in people who have limited access to face-to-face counseling activities.
This study has several limitations, including the use of a case study design at one research site, a relatively limited number of participants, and the measurement of the long-term impact on children’s nutritional status. Therefore, further research is recommended using mixed methods, quasi-experimental, or model effectiveness tests with a larger sample count and wider area coverage. In addition, future research needs to evaluate the sustainability of changes in parenting behavior and the influence of technopedagogic interventions on children’s anthropometric indicators, such as height-for-age z-score, in order to obtain stronger empirical evidence on the effectiveness of the model in supporting stunting prevention.
No custom software, source code, scripts, or computational tools were developed for this study. Data were collected through qualitative research methods and analyzed using the thematic analysis approach. Therefore, there is no software source code or analysis code associated with this research.
This research has obtained ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee of Panca Sakti University Bekasi with Number: 003/LPPM. ECC/PSUB/V/2026. All participants have obtained an explanation of the objectives, procedures, benefits, and potential risks of the research before data collection is carried out. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants before they participated in the study. All participants’ identities are kept confidential through the anonymization process and are only used for research purposes.
The underlying data supporting the findings of this study are openly available in Zenodo.
Zenodo: Research Appendices – Strengthening Parental Nutrition Literacy through Technopedagogy as a Stunting Prevention Strategy in Early Childhood. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21215994
The dataset contains the underlying qualitative research materials, including participant characteristics, anonymized interview transcripts, thematic coding framework, observation summaries, focus group discussion summaries, research instruments, and supporting documentation used in the analysis. All personally identifiable information has been removed to protect participant confidentiality.
Data are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.48
The author expresses his deepest appreciation and gratitude to all parents, PAUD teachers, Posyandu cadres, and Puskesmas nutritionists who have been willing to participate in this study and provide valuable time, experience, and information during the research process. Gratitude was also conveyed to the entire academic community of the State University of Jakarta and Panca Sakti University of Bekasi for academic support, scientific input, and a conducive research environment so that this research could be completed properly. The support and collaboration of these various parties made a very significant contribution to the completion of the research and the preparation of this manuscript.