The Relationship of Education, Knowledge, Perception, Family Support, and Socio-Culture to Early Marriage for Some Women in Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia

Abstract

Background. Early marriage is a formal or informal marriage performed under the age of 19 years. In Indonesia, cases of early marriage have always been a strategic issue that needs to be addressed because it will have a long-term impact on the health of mothers and children.

Objective. The study aimed to analyze the relationship of education, knowledge, perception, family support, and socio-culture to early marriage behavior in women in Banjar Regency.

Methods. This is a cross-sectional study using Fisher exact test with a 95% confidence level. The education variable was measured based on the respondent's highest educational level. The knowledge variable was measured using a multiple-choice questionnaire. The variable of perception used a list of statements with a Likert scale. Family support and socio-cultural variables use questionnaires with two choices (Yes/No).

Results. The results of the analysis of 31 respondents using Fisher's exact test showed education (p-value = 1.000), knowledge (p-value = 0.097), perception (not identified), family support (p-value = 0.237), and socio-culture (p-value=0.296).

Conclusion. There is no relationship between education, knowledge, perception, family support, and socio-culture on early marriage behavior in Banjar Regency. This is because there are many factors that influence early marriage behavior that cannot be investigated in this study, such as attitude, economics, peer support, community leaders, and others.