Abstract

Introduction: Early marriage is a persistent public health problem with intergenerational consequences for adolescents, mothers, and children. Because knowledge is a modifiable determinant of health behavior, school-based education may strengthen adolescents’ understanding of early marriage, parenting readiness, and child health risks. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a school-based early marriage education session on adolescents’ short-term knowledge of early marriage, parenting readiness, and child health consequences. Method: The study used a quasi-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test design involving 89 adolescents at Christian Vocational High Schools and State Islamic Senior High Schools Model Palangka Raya in 2025. A single educational session was delivered using interactive presentations and discussion. Knowledge was measured before and after the intervention using the same structured questionnaire, and paired comparisons were analyzed with the Wilcoxon test. Results: Knowledge improved significantly after the intervention (p<0.001). Post-test findings showed a clear shift toward the good and very good categories for knowledge about early marriage, parenting readiness, and the child health consequences of early marriage. Conclusion: A brief school-based educational intervention was effective in improving adolescents’ short-term knowledge. The findings support integrating early marriage education into school health programs while highlighting the need for controlled studies with follow-up to assess persistence of knowledge gains and behavioral relevance.