Journal of Community Engagement in Health https://jceh.
ISSN: 2620-3758 .
2620-3766 .
https://doi.
org/10.
30994/jceh.
Vol.
9 No.
1 March.
Page 44-52 Socialization on the Utilization of Pineapple as a Natural Source of Antioxidants to Support Health Productive Age Communities in West Bangkok Gurah Kediri Winartiana1*.
Prayoga Fery Yuniarto2.
Okky Intan Mawarni3
1,2,3
Departemen Farmasi.
Fakultas Ilmu Kesehatan.
Universitas Kadiri.
Kediri Corresponding author: winartiana14@unik-kediri.
ABSTRACT
Exposure to external free radicalsAisuch as pollution, ultraviolet radiation, and smoking-can trigger oxidative stress, which plays a role in the development of various degenerative diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
Essential preventive efforts can be made by increasing the consumption of natural foods rich in antioxidants.
Pineapple (Ananas comosu.
, as a local commodity, is known to contain high antioxidant levels that can help neutralize free radicals.
This community service activity aimed to improve the knowledge and understanding of residents in Dusun Bangkok Barat.
Gurah.
Kediri regarding the dangers of free radicals, their health impacts, and the benefits of pineapple as a natural source of The program used a one-group pretestAeposttest design involving 32 Respondents consisted of residents of Bangkok aged 18Ae55 years who had previously consumed pineapple and were willing to participate by completing the The intervention consisted of a health education session conducted on July 18.
The session was delivered through a lecture and a question-and-answer discussion using PowerPoint presentation slides.
Educational pamphlets were distributed to participants, and questionnaires were administered to assess participants knowledge before and after the Data analysis showed a significant increase in knowledge across all measured aspect such as knowledge regarding free radicals, antioxidants, pineapple, as well as community perceptions and habits.
The average improvement in correct responses between the pre-test and post-test exceeded 40%, with the highest increase .
%) seen in understanding the sources of free radicals.
Additionally, respondentsAo belief in the benefits of pineapple rose to 97%, and 88% expressed an intention to increase their consumption of antioxidant-rich fruits after attending the session.
The program proved effective in improving knowledge, shifting perceptions, and encouraging positive behavioral intentions.
These findings highlight the potential of community health education based on local commodities, such as pineapple, as an effective and sustainable preventive strategy.
Keywords : Pineapple.
Antioxidants.
Free radical, health promotion Received Revised Accepted : December 11, 2025 : February 02, 2026 : March 31, 2026 This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.
0 International License Journal of Community Engagement in Health https://jceh.
ISSN: 2620-3758 .
2620-3766 .
https://doi.
org/10.
30994/jceh.
Vol.
9 No.
1 March.
Page 44-52
INTRODUCTION
Free radicals are reactive molecules that can form naturally in the body through metabolic processes such as cellular respiration, as well as from external factors such as air pollution, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and various harmful chemicals.
The accumulation of free radicals can disrupt the bodyAos redox balance, which is normally regulated by endogenous antioxidant systems.
When this balance is disturbed, oxidative stress occurs, damaging cells, proteins, lipids, and DNA, ultimately triggering various degenerative diseases (Chaudary et al.
, 2.
In daily life, community exposure to free radicals in increasingly unavoidable.
Air pollution from vehicle emissions and industrial activities, prolonged exposure to sunlight, unhealthy dietary patterns, and smoking are common factors that elevate free radical production (Gustina et al.
, 2021.
Coughlin, 2018.
Satriawan, 2.
Prolonged oxidative stress resulting from these exposures has been associated with cardiovascular diseases, cancer, premature aging, and impaired organ function, particularly among individuals with unhealthy lifestyles (Aaronson et al.
, 2020.
Wang et al.
, 2.
Despite these risks, public awareness regarding free radicals and the importance of antioxidants in preventing oxidative stress remains limited.
Many people are exposed to free radical sources without adequate knowledge of preventive strategies, including the role of natural antioxidant rich foods.
This condition highlights the need for community-based health education to improve understanding of oxidative stress and promote healthier lifestyle Several previous studies have examined the health benefits of pineapple (Ananas comosu.
from both research and community-based activities.
Pineapple has been reported to contain high levels of antioxidant compounds, particularly vitamin C and phenolic substances, which contribute to reducing oxidative stress (Winahyu et al.
, 2.
Bioactive components in pineapple, including flavonoids and bromelain, have also been shown to exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that support tissue repair and metabolic health (Pereira et al.
, 2.
In addition, regular consumption of antioxidant rich fruits such as pineapple may help reduce the risk of chronic degenerative diseases associated with free radical damage (Gul et al.
, 2.
Community service and applied studies further support the potential of pineapple as functional food.
Pineapple consumption has been associated with the prevention of cardiovaskular disease, diabetes, and cancer through its antioxidant activity (Kobayashi et al.
Several community based programs have reported improved public awareness and acceptance of pineapple when promoted through practical forms such as fresh fruit, juice, or syrup (Sihotang et al.
, 2025.
Epriyani et al.
, 2.
Compared to these previous studies, which mainly focused on physiological effects or direct consumption, the present activity emphasizes health education to improve community knowledge and behavioral intention regarding pineapple consumption.
This approach complements existing research by strengthening preventive efforts through increased awareness and informed dietary choices.
Pharmacists, as frontline health professionals, play an essential role in providing education to the community regarding the dangers of free radicals, the importance of antioxidants, and the use of natural ingredients to maintain health.
Through community service activities, the faculty of health sciences at university of Kadiri aims to improve public knowledge about free radicals, antioxidants, and the use of pineapple as an easily accessible and safe natural antioxidant source.
The purpose of this community outreach program is to enhance public understanding of free radicals, their health impacts, and the benefits of natural antioxidants-particularly from pineapples-in maintaining overall health and preventing degenerative diseases.
Journal of Community Engagement in Health https://jceh.
ISSN: 2620-3758 .
2620-3766 .
https://doi.
org/10.
30994/jceh.
Vol.
9 No.
1 March.
Page 44-52
METHOD
This community service activity employed an educational approach through health outreach and counseling on free radicals, antioxidants, and the use of natural ingredients such as pineapple as a source of antioxidants.
The activity was conducted using a pretest-posttest one group design, which measures participants knowledge before and after the educational intervention without a comparison group.
This design was chosen to directly asses changes in community understanding after receiving the educational materials.
The target participants were residents of dusun Bangkok barat.
Gurah.
Kediri on july 18, 2025.
The inclusion criteria consisted of individuals who attended the event, were aged 18 to 55 years old, had previously consumed pineapple, and were willing to participate in the educational session by completing the questionnaire.
A total of 32 participants took part in this activity.
Participant recruitment was conducted using a convenience sampling approach, in which community members who met the inclusion criteria and were present at the activity site were invited to participate.
The program was carried out in three stages:
Pretest, to assess participantAos baseline knowledge of free radicals, antioxidanrs, and the benefits of pineaplle as a natural ingredient.
Health educational was delivered using powerpoint presentations and leaflets.
The intervention consisted of direct counseling, material presentation, and interactive discussions on sources of free radicals, their health impacts, and the role of natural Posttest, to evaluate the improvement in knowledge following the education session.
The instument used was a knowledge questionnaire developed based on key material indicators, including: the definition of free radicals, sources of exposure, health impacts, antioxidant mechanism, and the benefits of pineapple.
The questionnaire consisted of 16 multiple choice questions.
Content validity was assessted through expert judgment, in shich subject matter experts evaluated the relevance, clarity, and appropriateness of each item to ensure alignment with the educational objectives.
Item validity was further examined using item total correlation analysis, and all items demonstrated acceptable correlation values, indicating that the questionnaire items were valid.
Reability instrument was assessed using cronbachAos alpha to evaluate intrernal consistency, indicating that the questionnaire was reliable for measuring participants Pretest and posttest results were analyzed descriptively by comparing the average scores before and after the intervention to assess the increase in participantAos knowledge.
RESULTS
Respondent demographics The first section presents the demographic profile of the respondents as a basis for assessing the suitability and relevance of the health intervention conducted.
The demographic data obtained from section A of the questionnaire provide an overview of the respondentAos social and economic conditions.
Demographic information including age, gender, highest educational attainment, and occupation is summarized in tale 1.
This profile helps to contextualize respondent backgrounds and their relationship to literacy levels and potential health vulnerabilities within the studied population.
Journal of Community Engagement in Health https://jceh.
ISSN: 2620-3758 .
2620-3766 .
https://doi.
org/10.
30994/jceh.
Vol.
9 No.
1 March.
Page 44-52 Table 1.
Distribution of RespondentsAo Demographic Characteristics Category Age Gender Education Occupation Response Options Number .
18-20 years 20Ae35 years 36Ae50 years 51-55 years Male Female Elementary/Junior High School Senior High School/Vocational School Higher Education Housewife Student Employee/Trader/Others Percentage (%) The respondents were predominantly within the productive age range .
-55 years ol.
, which is considered a priority target for preventive health programs.
The educational of the participants generally indicated adequate literacy, enabling effective comprehension of the educational materials provided.
Female participation was more dominant than male participation, suggesting higher involvement in health related activities within West Bangkok.
Furthermore, the occupational background of most respondents may be associated with daily exposure to environmental risk factor, including free radicals.
Effectiveness of the Socialization Program on Improving Knowledge This section discusses the effectiveness of the socialization activity in enhancing community knowledge regarding antioxidants.
The analysis was conducted by comparing pre-test and post-test scores to determine the extent of improvement in respondentsAo understanding after the intervention.
The differences between pre- and post-intervention scores serve as an important indicator of the success of the health education program.
summary of these measurements is presented in Table 2 below.
Table 2.
Comparison of Pre-test and Post-test Knowledge Levels .
= .
Question Definition of Free Radicals Sources of Free Radicals Effects of Free Radicals Definition of Antioxidants Sources of Antioxidants Pre-test (%) Benefits of Antioxidants Post-test (%) Increase Do Pineapples Contain Benefits of Pineapples Overall, the data analysis indicates a significant improvement in all aspects of knowledge assessed.
The most notable gains occurred in concepts related to free radicals, while post intervention understanding of antioxidants reached an optimal level.
The Journal of Community Engagement in Health https://jceh.
ISSN: 2620-3758 .
2620-3766 .
https://doi.
org/10.
30994/jceh.
Vol.
9 No.
1 March.
Page 44-52 consistent improvement indicate that the educational interventions was effective in enhancing knowledge, from basic concepts to applied information regarding pineapple as a functional food rich in antioxidant.
Changes in Perception and Behavioral Intentions This section discusses the changes in respondentsAo perceptions and behavioral intentions related to the consumption of pineapple and other antioxidant-rich fruits after the educational program.
The analysis was conducted by comparing respondentsAo answers from the pre-test and post-test to identify the extent to which the session influenced their beliefs and interest in adopting the recommended health behaviors.
The results of this assessment are summarized in Table 3 below.
Table 3.
Changes in Perception and Intention to Consume Antioxidant-Rich Fruits Question Agree that consuming pineapple helps maintain health? Interested in consuming more antioxidant-rich fruits (After the Education Sessio.
Pre-test (%) Post-test (%) N/A The analysis shows an overall improvement in respondentsAo perceptions of the health benefits of consuming pineapple as part of preventive health behavior.
After the educational session, respondents demonstrated a stronger belief in the role of pineapple in maintaining health, reflecting increased awareness of pineapple as a natural source of antioxidants.
This finding suggests that the educational intervention was effective in shaping positive health perceptions related to functional food consumption.
In addition, the emergence of positive intentions among 88% of respondents to increase their consumption of antioxidant-rich fruits after the session demonstrates that the intervention not only influenced cognitive aspects but also stimulated changes in the conative aspect, namely behavioral intention.
These findings confirm that the educational activity was effective in encouraging the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors, particularly the increased consumption of functional foods that may offer protective benefits against free radical Practical Understanding of Pineapple Processing This section discusses the respondentsAo level of understanding regarding pineapple processing practices that may affect its antioxidant content.
The evaluation was conducted through a post-test to assess the extent to which the educational session improved respondentsAo knowledge of appropriate processing methods, the healthiest forms of consumption, and their interest in trying healthier pineapple-based preparations.
A summary of these assessment results is presented in Table 4 below.
Question Does the processing method affect antioxidant levels? What is the healthiest way to consume it? Interested in trying healthier pineapple Correct Answer Percentage (Post-tes.
Yes Eaten fresh Yes Journal of Community Engagement in Health https://jceh.
ISSN: 2620-3758 .
2620-3766 .
https://doi.
org/10.
30994/jceh.
Vol.
9 No.
1 March.
Page 44-52 The evaluation results demonstrate that respondents gained a good understanding of how processing methods affect antioxidant levels and recognized the healthiest way to preserve pineappleAos nutritional quality.
Moreover, their high interest in trying healthier pineapple preparations suggest that the educational intervention may have a lasting impact on promoting better dietary practices.
DISCUSSION
The findings of this study indicate a significant increase in respondent knowledge after participating in the educational outreach program.
Their understanding of the definition and sources of free radicals improved substantially, which an increase of up to 57%.
This improvement is crucial, as awareness of the risks associated with free radicals is the first step toward adopting preventive behaviors, including antioxidant consumption.
Recent studies emphasize that increased health knowledge plays a central role in shaping individualsAo readiness to engage in preventive actions (Nutbeam & Lloyd, 2.
In the aspect to antioxidants, all respondents achieved an optimal level of understanding .
%) in the post test regarding the definition of antioxidants as substances that protect the body from free radicals.
This demonstrates that the educational program effectively conveyed key preventive health concepts.
Furthermore, knowledge about pineapple as a source of antioxidants also increases, from 63% to 97%.
A similar improvement .
%) was observed in respondents understanding of the comprehensive benefits of pineapple, such as enhancing immunity, helping to combat free radicals, and supporting digestive health.
This outcome is consistent with recent nutrition education studies, which report that linking abstract health concepts with locally available and familiar food sources significantly improves knowledge retention and comprehension (Silva et al.
The significant improvement in knowledge also positively influenced respondentsAo perceptions and behavioral intentions.
The proportion of respondents who believed that consuming pineapple contributes to maintaining health increased from 78% in the pre-test to 97% in the post-test.
This positive shift in perception is an important prerequisite for behavior change, aligning with the principles of the Health Belief Model, which posits that an individualAos belief in the benefits of a health-related action is a key factor driving the adoption of healthy behavior.
Additionally, respondentsAo intention to increase their consumption of antioxidant-rich fruits was notably high, with 88% expressing interest after the outreach activity.
This strong behavioral intention indicates that the educational intervention not only enhanced cognitive understanding but also succeeded in stimulating respondentsAo internal motivation to apply this knowledge in their daily dietary practices.
Respondents also demonstrated a good level of understanding regarding practical aspects of pineapple processing.
The majority .
%) correctly identified that consuming fresh pineapple is the most effective method to preserve antioxidant content.
This understanding is important, as antioxidant componentsAiincluding vitamin C and certain enzymesAiare sensitive to heat and prolonged processing (Arampath & Dekker, 2.
Moreover, the high interest .
%) in preparing healthier pineapple-based foods at home suggests the potential for longer term behavioral adoption.
Similar findings have been reported in community nutrition education programs, where practical knowledge significantly increased the likelihood of translating intention into action.
Despite the effectiveness of the outreach program in improving knowledge and behavioral intention, several limitations should be acknowledged.
This study assessed behavioral intention rather than actual long term behavioral changes, such as sustained fruit Journal of Community Engagement in Health https://jceh.
ISSN: 2620-3758 .
2620-3766 .
https://doi.
org/10.
30994/jceh.
Vol.
9 No.
1 March.
Page 44-52 consumption following the intervention.
The predominance of respondents from the productive age group .
-55 years ol.
with relatively higher educational backgrounds may have influenced their capacity to receive and understand health information, thereby limiting the generalizability of the findings.
In addition, the effectiveness of the program also has been influenced by the educational media used, namely power point presentation slides delivered through lectures and printed leaflets, which were appropriate for respondent characteristics but my require adaptation for populations with different demographic profiles.
CONCLUSION
The outreach program on antioxidants and the benefits of pineapple proved effective in increasing respondent health knowledge, as evidenced by the significant improvement in the percentage of correct answers in the knowledge questionnaire- an increase of more than 40% between the pre-test and post-test.
This improvement includes a stronger foundational understanding of the dangers of free radicals and the role of antioxidant as protective agents for the body.
The success in enhancing cognitive aspects is also reflected in the change in behavioral intentions, where the majority of respondents .
%) expressed interest in increasing their consumption of antioxidant rich fruits, supported by a rise in confidence regarding the health benefits of pineapple, which reached 97%.
In addition, respondents demonstrated good understanding of the practical aspects of pineapple consumption, particularly that consuming it fresh is the most optimal method for preserving its antioxidant content.
These findings reinforce those educational interventions based on local commodities, such as pineapple, have strong potential to serve as effective and sustainable health promotion strategies.
REFERENCES