Prenatal Exercise Held in Jeneponto, FKM Unhas Students Raise Awareness of Maternal and Infant Health
Students from Post 6 of the Community Health Practice II program at the Faculty of Public Health, Hasanuddin University (FKM Unhas), organized a prenatal exercise event at the Pattiro Village Office, Bangkala Barat District, Jeneponto Regency, South Sulawesi. This activity aimed to increase awareness among pregnant women about the importance of physical activity during pregnancy, provide education about the benefits of prenatal exercise, and encourage them to make exercise a part of their healthy lifestyle. This activity was motivated by data obtained from the first Community Health Practice (PBL I), which showed that only 48.8% of pregnant women in Pattiro Village actively participated in prenatal classes. The lack of awareness about the importance of physical activity during pregnancy became a major concern for the FKM Unhas students. The event was attended by six pregnant women from Pattiro Village, all students from Post 6 of the FKM Unhas PBL II program as organizers, local representatives, and local health cadres. The presence of these various parties demonstrated strong support for efforts to improve the welfare of pregnant women in Pattiro Village. The series of events began with providing brief education about the benefits of prenatal exercise, both for physical health and preparation for childbirth. This education was delivered in simple language to make it easily understood by the pregnant participants. This was followed by exercise that included light and safe movements tailored to the physical condition of pregnant women, such as stretching, breathing exercises, and movements that strengthen the pelvic and abdominal muscles. Ibu Isa dg Kanang, as a representative of the Pattiro Village health cadres, said that this activity was a form of concern for the lack of prenatal class activities, especially prenatal exercise, in Pattiro Village. “Through this activity, we hope that pregnant women can take advantage of and participate in prenatal exercise activities, and that these activities can continue in the future,” said Ibu Isa dg Kanang. In addition, this activity is also in line with the commitment of Hasanuddin University to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), pillar 3, regarding ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages, in this case, especially the health of pregnant women and infants.The positive response from the pregnant women showed their high enthusiasm during this activity. “We are grateful for the exercise activities provided by the PBL students, because these activities are very beneficial for pregnant women and the movements are easy to do,” said Ibu Kartini. The activity concluded with a group photo session and the distribution of souvenirs as a form of appreciation for participating in the prenatal exercise activity in Pattiro Village.