PENGARUH EDUKASI KESEHATAN PENCEGAHAN HIPERTENSI TERHADAP TINGKAT PENGETAHUAN HIPERTENSI PADA SISWA USIA REMAJA

Background: Hypertension is a global health problem with an increasing prevalence, including among adolescents. Low levels of adolescent knowledge regarding risk factors and prevention strategies contribute to a higher likelihood of developing hypertension in adulthood. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of health education in improving knowledge of hypertension prevention among students at SMK Manggala Tama Binangun, Cilacap. Methods: This study employed a pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest approach. A total of 80 respondents were selected using purposive sampling. The research instrument was a hypertension knowledge questionnaire that had passed validity testing (r = 0.42–0.80) and reliability testing (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.882). Data analysis included descriptive analysis, Shapiro–Wilk normality test, and the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. Results: Before the educational intervention, most respondents had low levels of knowledge (46.3%). After the intervention, 95% of respondents achieved a good level of knowledge. The Wilcoxon test indicated a significant increase in knowledge scores (Z = -7.865; p < 0.001). Conclusion: These findings indicate that hypertension prevention education is effective in improving adolescents’ knowledge. The study recommends integrating hypertension prevention education into the school curriculum and developing more diverse educational media. Recommendation: Future studies are advised to use an experimental design with a control group and involve a larger population to increase the generalizability of the findings.