THE EFFECT OF ATTITUDE AND SUBJECTIVE NORM ON PARENTS' INTENTION TO PREVENT CHILD MARRIAGEIN PIDIE REGENCY

Abstract

Child marriage remains a public health concern influenced by individual, family, social, and cultural factors. Parents play an important role in decisions concerning their children's marriage; therefore, understanding the factors that shape parents' intention to prevent child marriage is essential. This study aimed to analyze the effects of attitude and subjective norm on parents' intention to prevent child marriage in Pidie Regency. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used. The respondents were 194 parents of adolescents aged 10–18 years living in the coastal areas of Pidie Regency, covering Simpang Tiga, Kembang Tanjong, Batee, and Muara Tiga subdistricts, and were recruited using total sampling. Attitude was measured through behavioral beliefs and evaluations of behavior, whereas subjective norm was measured through normative beliefs and motivation to comply. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) with SmartPLS version 4.0. The results showed that 46.9% of respondents had a good intention and 26.8% had a very good intention to prevent child marriage. Attitude had a positive path coefficient toward intention (β = 0.342), while subjective norm also had a positive path coefficient (β = 0.204). The path coefficient for attitude was higher than that for subjective norm in the structural model. These findings indicate that more favorable parental attitudes and more supportive subjective norms are associated with stronger intentions to prevent child marriage. Prevention efforts should strengthen parental attitudes and reinforce social support from families and communities.