Pengaruh Edukasi Berbasis Peer Group terhadap Pengetahuan dan Sikap Remaja tentang Perilaku Seksual di SMP Negeri 1 Kecamatan Bayung Lencir

Abstract

Risky sexual behavior among adolescents is a public health concern that can lead to unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and psychosocial problems. Limited knowledge and less supportive attitudes toward reproductive health are among the factors associated with risky sexual behavior in adolescents. Peer group-based education, which delivers health information through peers, may improve adolescents' knowledge and attitudes because the messages are conveyed by people of a similar age. This study aimed to determine the effect of peer group-based education on adolescents' knowledge and attitudes toward sexual behavior at SMP Negeri 1 in Bayung Lencir District in 2025. A pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was used. The population comprised 521 students in grades VII and VIII, and 101 respondents were selected using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using knowledge and attitude questionnaires and analyzed using univariate and bivariate analyses. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was used for knowledge, while the paired-samples t-test was used for attitude. The mean knowledge score increased from 10.60 to 12.10 after the intervention, while the mean attitude score increased from 34.52 to 36.41. Bivariate analysis showed a significant effect of peer group-based education on adolescents' knowledge and attitudes toward sexual behavior, with p = 0.000 (p < 0.05). Peer group-based education was effective in improving adolescents' knowledge and promoting more positive attitudes toward sexual behavior and can be used as a reproductive health promotion strategy in schools.