Public Health Policy Practice for Early-Age Marriage in Gunung Kidul, Indonesia: An Evaluation of Regent Regulation Practice on Child Health

Abstract

Background: Early-age marriage becomes the raising issue regarding its implication, particularly on child health. The efforts to reduce this issue were by changing, monitor, and evaluate the rule of the limit age of marriage for children which was still inappropriately happened in Indonesia, especially in Gunungkidul. Purpose: This study evaluated the Regent Regulation practice as its both performance and effectiveness in improving child health in this region. Methodology: A qualitative design was used in this evaluation study with an in-depth interview and analyzed all governments' reports as secondary data collecting. Results: Regent Regulation of 36/2015 affected to reduce the case of child marriage in Gunungkidul. It reduced almost a half (45.78%) of the early-age marriage from 2015 to 2017. Informants confirmed that more than 1/3 divorce cases in this region were decreased as well as the suppressed dispensation for early-age marriage (<100 marriage) and lowest amount of maternity cases on the adolescent group. It was also effective in reducing the low-birth weight, from 2015 to 2017, and stunting cases on children, from 2015 to 2016. Conclusion: Positive externality of Regent Regulation of early-age marriage and its impacts was seen by affecting the spirit of the other regions to follow them.