Abstract:

Objective: The present study aimed to assess the opinions of nursing students at a university on early marriage and child brides.   Methods: As the study was descriptive and cross-sectional in nature, its sampling group consisted of 308 volunteer students of the nursing department of a university in Bandirma between March and April, 2016. Study data were collected by means of a survey form developed by researchers through face-to-face interview.   Results: The mean age of the students included in the study was 20.68 ± 2.12 years, and 58.1% of them were females. Furthermore, 25.6% of the students were determined to have an underage bride among their first- and second-degree relatives. In terms of the opinions of the respondents, 92.2% stated that early marriage was a social problem, whereas 89.3% stated that it was a type of an abuse. In terms of the resolution of this problem, 67.5% of the respondents suggested that law enforcement was necessary, whereas 65.6% stated that underage females were required to attend schools, and 63% stated that common public education was needed to overcome this issue.   Conclusion: As a result health professionals should undertake significant responsibility to overcome the problem of early marriage and the relevant risks associated with it. It is also important for health service providers to analyze the cause–result of early marriage to reorganize their care and social support services within the scope of their conventional and modern roles.

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