The Effectiveness of Local-Leader-Based Social Interventions on Knowledge and Attitudes of Early Marriage among Mother Who Have Teenage Children

Abstract

Abstract BACKGROUND: Early marriage causes pregnancy and early delivery with complications of pregnancy, childbirth, low birth weight, and stunting and has an impact on high maternal and child mortality rates. Local leader-based social intervention for parents with adolescents can increase knowledge and attitudes in preventing early marriage. AIM: This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of social interventions by community leaders on the knowledge, attitudes METHODS: The study was conducted in the district of Deliserdang, Sumatera Utara province, Indonesia. We conducted a prospective cross-sectional interventional study with baseline survey and repeat surveys to evaluate interventions. Fifteen participants local leaders from the community were trained to provide early marriage prevention education. The training was carried out for 2 days. After the training, the researchers assisted for 2 weeks in conducting early marriage prevention education to the community. After mentoring, each participant carried out early marriage prevention education independently. One hundred and fifty-four mothers who have teenage children were selected by systematic sampling to assess the effectiveness. Data were collected using a questioner and analyzed by Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: Social intervention by local leaders as agents of change in the community for 6 months and controls were given leaflets for adolescents and parents, indicating that interventions carried out by community leaders were more effective in increasing the knowledge and attitudes of mother who has teenage children compared to giving leaflets (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Social intervention based on local leaders is more effectively used as a method of early marriage prevention education.