Universitas Indonesia (UI), through the Faculty of Medicine (FK) Specialist Study Program (Sp1) Sports Medicine (IKO), has taken concrete steps to promote the importance of physical activity in children. Through a community service program (pengmas), UI held an activity titled “Membangun Perilaku Aktif pada Anak untuk Tumbuh Kembang yang Sehat” (Building Active Behavior in Children for Healthy Growth and Development) at Pejaten Timur 17 Elementary School, Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.
This activity was carried out in two stages. The first stage which took place at the end of July 2024 included counseling, measuring weight and height, and providing ball game equipment for children. This activity ended with a session of playing together on the sports field. Meanwhile, the second stage at the end of August 2024 included dissemination of the results of the physical activity questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, and refreshing the counseling materials that had been provided previously.
An initial study at the school, conducted by the UI academic team in 2023, found a low number of children who did physical activity according to health recommendations. On the other hand, the proportion of overweight students in this school is quite high, reaching 23.9%, compared to other schools in the Pasar Minggu District.
The head of the community service and also the Head of the Sp1 IKO FKUI Study Program, Dr. dr. Nani Cahyani Sudarsono, Sp.KO, explained that this program aims to improve the understanding of parents and teachers about the importance of physical activity from an early age. “To keep the body healthy and children’s growth and development optimal, parents and teachers need to be educated about the importance of physical activity for children. Our presence is also expected to be an effort to foster interest, hone motor skills, and encourage children’s physical activity according to recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO),” she said. According to her, activities like this can be applied to other schools, so that the benefits of encouraging active living behavior from an early age can be felt by the wider community.
The community service team donated various sports equipment, such as agility ladders, tennis balls, basketballs, and volleyballs, which were given to SDN Pejaten Timur 17 for use by students. Dr. dr. Bernie Endyarni Mediese, Sp.A(K), MPH from the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, who was the main speaker, emphasized the role of families and schools in increasing children’s physical activity.
“Families and schools play an important role in motivating children to be active. Physical activity is a basic need for growth and development that must be met,” she said. This was reinforced by dr. Surya Santosa, Sp.KO, who showed a variety of game choices that children can do according to WHO recommendations.
In addition to counseling, this event was also attended by 96 students from grades 1 to 6 who were accompanied by their parents. The Principal of SDN Pejaten Timur 17, Mrs. Harmawati, S.Pd, welcomed this activity and hoped that similar activities could increase awareness among students and parents. “Hopefully students can do more physical activity and not sit around playing with their cellphones. I also hope that with this activity, parents will gain more knowledge to motivate their children to be more active,” said Mrs. Harmawati.
On the other hand, dr. Risna Muthmainnah Riskawa from the Pasar Minggu District Health Center emphasized the importance of physical activity not only as entertainment, but also for the long-term health of children. “Physical activity can increase bone density, which will ultimately help them have better posture in the future,” she said.
In addition to providing educational benefits, this activity also succeeded in identifying students’ physical activity interests. Among the activities that students like the most are running, cycling, playing ball, and dancing. The counseling provided has been proven to increase parents’ understanding of the importance of physical activity according to WHO recommendations.
This program received full support from teaching staff and education staff from the Sp1 IKO FKUI Study Program, as well as participants in the Specialist Doctor Education Program (PPDS) IKO FKUI, who also played an active role in the entire series of activities.
