Pemberdayaan Siswa Melalui Edukasi dan Skrining Talasemia Berbasis Sekolah untuk Mendukung Deteksi Dini

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ABSTRAK

Talasemia sebagai kelainan genetik dengan konsekuensi kesehatan jangka panjang memerlukan strategi pencegahan yang tidak hanya berorientasi pada penanganan penderita, tetapi juga pada peningkatan literasi kesehatan, deteksi dini pembawa sifat (carrier), dan penguatan dukungan tindak lanjut pada kelompok remaja. Kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini bertujuan meningkatkan pemahaman dan kesadaran siswa mengenai talasemia sekaligus memperluas partisipasi dalam deteksi dini melalui integrasi edukasi, skrining, dan pendampingan berbasis sekolah. Kegiatan dilaksanakan pada delapan satuan pendidikan tingkat SMA, SMK, dan MA di Provinsi Jawa Barat dengan sasaran edukasi sebanyak 1.860 siswa. Evaluasi kegiatan melibatkan 350 siswa melalui kuesioner, sedangkan skrining talasemia diikuti oleh 309 siswa dengan mempertimbangkan ketersediaan perangkat dan kapasitas pemeriksaan. Hasil skrining menunjukkan terdapat 27 siswa yang memerlukan perhatian dan tindak lanjut lebih lanjut terkait kemungkinan status pembawa sifat talasemia. Hubungan antara edukasi, kesadaran, dan partisipasi skrining dianalisis menggunakan Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS), yang menunjukkan koefisien jalur positif edukasi terhadap kesadaran sebesar β = 0,451, edukasi terhadap partisipasi skrining sebesar β = 0,486, dan kesadaran terhadap partisipasi skrining sebesar β = 0,435. Temuan tersebut menunjukkan bahwa edukasi memiliki posisi penting dalam membangun kesadaran dan mendorong keterlibatan siswa dalam deteksi dini, sedangkan pendampingan memperkuat kesinambungan program melalui keterlibatan siswa, keluarga, tenaga kesehatan, dan organisasi terkait talasemia. Program ini menunjukkan bahwa integrasi edukasi, skrining, dan pendampingan dapat menjadi pendekatan promotif dan preventif berbasis sekolah yang relevan untuk memperkuat deteksi dini talasemia. Pengembangan program selanjutnya perlu diarahkan pada perluasan cakupan skrining, penguatan sistem rujukan, peningkatan keterlibatan keluarga, serta penguatan jejaring layanan kesehatan agar proses tindak lanjut berlangsung secara berkelanjutan.

Kata Kunci: Talasemia, Edukasi Kesehatan, Deteksi Dini, Skrining, Carrier, Remaja, Pemberdayaan Berbasis Sekolah.

ABSTRACT

Thalassemia, as a genetic disorder with long-term health consequences, requires preventive strategies that extend beyond the treatment of affected individuals to include improving health literacy, early detection of thalassemia carriers, and strengthening follow-up support among adolescents. This community service program aimed to improve students’ understanding and awareness of thalassemia while increasing participation in early detection through an integrated school-based approach combining education, screening, and mentoring. The program was implemented in eight senior high schools, vocational high schools, and Islamic senior high schools in West Java Province, involving 1,860 students as the target population for health education. Program evaluation involved 350 students through questionnaires, while thalassemia screening was conducted among 309 students, taking into account the availability of screening equipment and examination capacity. The screening results identified 27 students who required further attention and follow-up regarding the possibility of being thalassemia carriers. The relationships among education, awareness, and screening participation were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The analysis showed positive path coefficients from education to awareness (β = 0.451), education to screening participation (β = 0.486), and awareness to screening participation (β = 0.435). These findings indicate that education plays an important role in developing awareness and encouraging student participation in early detection, while mentoring strengthens program continuity through the involvement of students, families, healthcare professionals, and thalassemia-related organizations. The program demonstrates that integrating education, screening, and mentoring can serve as a relevant school-based promotive and preventive approach to strengthening early thalassemia detection. Future program development should focus on expanding screening coverage, strengthening referral systems, increasing family involvement, and reinforcing healthcare service networks to ensure sustainable follow-up.

Keywords: Thalassemia, Health Education, Early Detection, Screening, Carrier, Adolescents, School-Based Empowerment.