Perceptions of Early Marriage in Junior High School Students in Rural Areas
Muhammad Azinar1*, Alfiana Ainun Nisa2, Puput Ediyarsari3

1) Public Health Department, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
*azinar.ikm[at]mail.unnes.ac.id
2) Public Health Department, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
3) Public Health Department, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract. Early marriage (less than 19 years old) has a very serious impact on both the mother and the child being born. Grobogan Regency is an area in the province of Central Java, most of which is rural. The prevalence of women getting married and pregnant at an early age in this region is very high, reaching 59.88% in 2018, 51.24% in 2019 and 52.81% in 2020. This figure is much higher than the Central Java province figure, which is 37.67%. Adolescents are the main actors in the occurrence of early marriage, especially in rural communities.
This type of research is a survey research with a cross-sectional design.The population of this study was junior high school students aged 13-16 years in Grobogan sub-district as the area with the highest incidence of teenage marriage in Grobogan district, Central Java. The minimum number of samples was calculated according to the Slovin formula with a 95% confidence degree, obtained a total of 196 students (89 male students and 107 female students). Sample selectionpurposively. Data were collected using a questionnaire. Univariate and bivariate analysis using testMann Whitney to analyze differences in perception between adolescent boys and girls.
The results of the study stated that one in eight adolescents had a favorable perception of early marriage (less than 19 years). There is no difference in perception between adolescent boys and girls regarding early marriage. Positive perceptions of the benefits of child marriage are still found in both male and female students. This indicates that social norms that support child marriage are still strong among youth in rural areas. Comprehensive interventions are needed to promote the benefits of maturation of the marriageable age based on the cultural context of the community.

Keywords: early marriage, adolescents, students

Topic: Solidarity, Partnership, and Culture