Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a non-communicable disease with increasing prevalence in Indonesia, largely due to unhealthy dietary patterns formed early in life. Nutrition education during adolescence is a key preventive strategy. This community service activity aimed to improve students’ knowledge of diabetes prevention through balanced healthy eating. The activity was conducted in October 2024 at SMK Al-Wathan Ambon, involving 65 students. A participatory educational approach was employed, including interactive lectures, group discussions, “My Plate” meal planning simulations, and evaluation using pre- and post-tests. The design followed a one-group pre-test and post-test format to assess knowledge improvement. Pre-test results indicated that most students had low to moderate understanding of nutrition and diabetes prevention. After the intervention, post-test scores increased significantly, with average knowledge scores rising from 56.2 to 78.9. Students responded enthusiastically, and most expressed willingness to apply healthy eating habits in their daily lives. Participatory nutrition education effectively enhanced students’ knowledge about diabetes prevention. This initiative should be sustained within school environments and supported by parents and school canteen management to foster long-term behavior change. The program is recommended for replication in other schools to extend its educational impact on adolescent health.