BLENDED LEARNING-BASED EARLY DETECTION STRATEGY TO REDUCE MATERNAL, INFANT MORTALITY, AND STUNTING IN CENTRAL JAVA

Abstract

Maternal mortality, infant mortality, and stunting remain key priorities in efforts to develop high-quality human resources in Indonesia. The health status of mothers, infants, toddlers, and school-aged children is fundamental in producing a superior generation. Midwives, as primary healthcare providers for pregnant women, play a strategic role in promotive and preventive services. One approach to strengthening these efforts is through blended learning training. This study employed a quantitative approach with a case-control design and utilized a one-group pre-posttest experimental framework. The research was conducted at the Klambu Community Health Center, where midwives received blended learning training to evaluate its impact on reducing Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), and stunting prevalence. The results showed that the Mann-Whitney statistical test for maternal mortality yielded a significance value of ρ=0.241 (>0.05), indicating that the blended learning intervention had no significant effect on reducing MMR. However, the Mann-Whitney test for infant mortality produced a value of ρ=0.027 (<0.05), demonstrating a significant effect of the intervention on reducing IMR. Additionally, the independent t-test for stunting revealed a significance value of ρ=0.028 (<0.05), indicating that the intervention significantly contributed to reducing stunting rates. In conclusion, blended learning training for midwives did not significantly affect maternal mortality rates but showed a meaningful impact on reducing infant mortality and stunting. Therefore, blended learning can be considered an effective strategy to enhance early detection and strengthen health promotion practices among midwives in efforts to reduce IMR and stunting incidence.