Knowledge and attitudes about reproductive health and pregnancy preparedness: preliminary study of brides and grooms in Brebes district, Central Java, Indonesia

Background: Knowledge of brides and grooms about reproductive health and pregnancy preparedness in Indonesia still lack. Efforts to give lessons reproductive health and pregnancy preparedness to brides and grooms today still taboo and limited. Education about reproductive health and pregnancy preparedness is one of strategic ways to increase brides’ and grooms’ knowledge and attitudes about reproductive health and pregnancy preparedness. This study conducted to evaluate an effect of reproductive health and pregnancy preparedness education by provision of media on brides and grooms in Brebes district. Methods: This study utilized quasi experimental pre and post-test one group design. Population of this study includes 54 brides and grooms (31 females and 23 males) in Brebes. Results: Based on the results of a different test with Wilcoxon Match paired Test obtained were significant differences between the respondents knowledge and attitudes before and after reproductive health education and provision of media (p=0.008). Conclusions: That means there were significant interventions in the form of brief counseling and provision of media to increase knowledge and attitudes of respondents about reproductive health. The results demonstrate that interventions can significantly improve knowledge and attitudes of respondents (p<0.005; Delta; 0.20). Recommendation to improve risk of maternal mortality rate is a reproductive health education with early intervention in brides and grooms as one of strategic actions to improving knowledge minimize incidence of complication in pregnancy and maternal mortality.