<![CDATA[Abstrak Pendewasaan usia perkawinan (PUP) merupakan strategi penting mencegah perkawinan anak dan kehamilan remaja yang berdampak pada kesehatan, sosial, dan ekonomi. Persepsi remaja berperan dalam pengambilan keputusan terkait perkawinan. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis pengaruh peer educator berbasis Health Belief Model (HBM) terhadap persepsi remaja tentang PUP serta mengeksplorasi makna perubahan persepsi secara kualitatif. Desain mixed method sequential explanatory digunakan, dengan kuantitatif quasi-experiment one group pretest-posttest pada 58 remaja putri kelas XI SMAN 5 Padang yang dipilih secara simple random sampling, dan kualitatif melalui wawancara mendalam serta triangulasi pakar. Data kuantitatif dianalisis dengan uji dependent t-test, data kualitatif dianalisis secara tematik. Hasil univariat menunjukkan peningkatan rerata skor total persepsi dari 87,38 (SD=9,65) menjadi 113,66 (SD=5,77). Hasil bivariat menunjukkan perbedaan bermakna pada seluruh komponen HBM: perceived susceptibility (p=0,000), perceived severity (p=0,000), perceived benefits (p=0,000), perceived barriers (p=0,000), cues to action (p=0,000), dan self-efficacy (p=0,000). Analisis tematik kualitatif menghasilkan enam tema utama yang memperkuat temuan kuantitatif. Edukasi teman sebaya dirasakan lebih nyaman, relevan, dan tidak menghakimi. Pakar memvalidasi efektivitas pendekatan sebaya namun merekomendasikan evaluasi jangka panjang 1–3 bulan. Disimpulkan bahwa peer educator berbasis HBM efektif membentuk persepsi protektif terhadap PUP sebagai tahap awal perubahan perilaku. Kata Kunci: pendewasaan usia perkawinan, peer educator, Health Belief Model, persepsi remaja, pendidikan sebaya Abstract Maturation of marriage age (PUP) is a crucial strategy to prevent child marriage and adolescent pregnancy, impacting health, social, and economic aspects. Adolescent perceptions play an important role in marriage-related decision-making. This study aimed to analyze the effect of Health Belief Model (HBM)-based peer education on adolescents' perceptions of PUP and to qualitatively explore the meaning of these perceptual changes. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was employed. The quantitative component used a quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design with 58 eleventh-grade female students selected through simple random sampling at SMAN 5 Padang. The qualitative component involved in-depth interviews and expert triangulation. Quantitative data were analyzed using dependent t-test, and qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Univariate results showed an increase in the total mean perception score from 87.38 (SD=9.65) to 113.66 (SD=5.77). Bivariate analysis revealed significant differences in all HBM constructs: perceived susceptibility (p=0.000), perceived severity (p=0.000), perceived benefits (p=0.000), perceived barriers (p=0.000), cues to action (p=0.000), and self-efficacy (p=0.000). Thematic analysis produced six main themes reinforcing the quantitative findings. Peer education was perceived as more comfortable, relevant, and non-judgmental. The expert validated the effectiveness of the peer approach but recommended a 1–3 month long-term evaluation. It was concluded that HBM-based peer education effectively fosters protective perceptions of PUP as an initial stage of behavior change. Keywords: maturation of marriage age, peer educator, Health Belief Model, adolescent perception, peer education]]>
