Tree of Knowledge Media: An Innovative Approach to Improving Cariogenic Food Knowledge Among Elementary

Abstract

Cariogenic foods contain fermentable carbohydrates, particularly sugars, that may contribute to dental caries when consumed frequently. Elementary school children require appropriate health education to improve their understanding of cariogenic foods. Attractive and interactive educational media may facilitate children's understanding of health information. The Tree of Knowledge is a visual educational medium that can be used to support dental health education. This study aimed to describe the level of knowledge about cariogenic foods before and after counseling using Tree of Knowledge media among third-grade students at SDN Baktijaya 3 Depok in 2026. A pre-experimental study with a one-group pretest-posttest design was conducted in April 2026 involving 86 third-grade students selected through random sampling from a population of 110 students. Data were collected using a 15-item multiple-choice questionnaire administered before and seven days after counseling. The intervention was delivered using Tree of Knowledge media in three small groups. Data were analyzed descriptively and presented as frequency distributions and percentages. Before the intervention, 48 students (55.8%) had poor knowledge and 38 students (44.2%) had moderate knowledge, with no students categorized as having good knowledge. After the intervention, 84 students (97.7%) had good knowledge, while 2 students (2.3%) had moderate knowledge, and none had poor knowledge. The mean knowledge score increased from 8.03 out of 15 (53.57%) before the intervention to 13.58 out of 15 (90.54%) after the intervention, representing an increase of 36.98 percentage points. The findings suggest that Knowledge Tree Media may be an effective educational approach for improving elementary school students’ knowledge about cariogenic foods