SEARCHCROSS-SECTIONALobstetrics and gynecology, public health

cross-sectional·obstetrics and gynecology, public health, nutrition, clinical nutrition, micronutrients·PMC10021611

Adherence to iron and folate supplementation and associated factors among women attending antenatal care in public health facilities at Covid-19 pandemic in Ethiopia

PLOS Global Public Health · 5 authors, 4 centres

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FIDELITY 100%

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TL;DR

This study assessed adherence to iron and folate supplementation among 308 pregnant women in Ethiopian public health facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic using a cross-sectional design.

Full summary

882 CHARS

The study enrolled 308 pregnant women using systematic random sampling and assessed adherence via a face-to-face interviewer-guided questionnaire. The central finding was a low self-reported adherence rate of 56.5% (95% CI: 51%–62.2%). Statistical analysis identified several independent predictors of adherence: having primary education (vs. secondary and above), residing in urban areas (vs. rural), having four or more antenatal care (ANC) visits (vs. fewer), registering for the first ANC visit at an early gestational age, and having good awareness about birth defects. Limitations include reliance on self-reported adherence, which may be subject to recall bias, and the lack of gold-standard methods like pill counting. The study implies that interventions promoting early and frequent ANC visits and improving awareness through education are necessary to increase adherence.

STUDY TYPE

cross-sectional

SPECIALTY

obstetrics and gynecology

SUMMARISED BY

AI pipeline

FIDELITY CHECK

100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10021611

Adherence to iron and folate supplementation and associated factors among women attending antenatal care in public health facilities at Covid-19 pandemic in Ethiopia

PLOS Global Public Health

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ABSTRACT

Adhesion is the degree to which a patient complies with treatment recommendations made by a health care professional. The majority of pregnant women worldwide don’t get the recommended amounts of iron and folic acid (30 to 60 mg of iron and 400 g of folic acid/day for 6 months) pregnant women are more likely to develop iron- and folic acid deficiency anemia. For iron and folate supplementation programs to be effective in Ethiopia, adherence is a significant issue. So, this study aimed to evaluate the level and barriers preventing women receiving antenatal care from taking iron and folate supplements. A phenomenological qualitative study design was added to a facility-based cross-sectional study. The sample was established using a double population proportion formula. For the quantitative and qualitative study, 308 pregnant women and the focal points for the health facilities were chosen at random, using systematic random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. For the quantitative study, a face-to-face interviewer-guided, pre-tested structured questionnaire was used; for the qualitative study, a semi-structured questionnaire was used. Data was entered twice, cross-checked by comparing the two separate entries in Epi Data version 7.2.2.6, and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. COR and AOR with 95% CI are used to evaluate the relationship between variables and control for confounding factors. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05. All, 308 (100%) participants were involved. 56.5% of pregnant women attending an ANC clinic (95% CI: 51%–62.2%) adhered to Iron and folate supplementation. Mothers with primary education], Urban residents mothers, Mother who had four or more ANC visits, mothers who had registered for their first ANC at early gestational age, mothers who had good awareness about birth defects were independent predictors of adherence to Iron and folate supplementation. In our study, adherence to iron and folate supplementation was low relative to previous research findings. Promoting early and frequent ANC visits and improving pregnant women’s awareness of anemia and birth defects through education is necessary to increase the adherence status.

CITATION EXPORT

Arayasillase Assegid Tefera, Neil Abdurashid Ibrahim, Abdurezaq Adem Umer et al.. Adherence to iron and folate supplementation and associated factors among women attending antenatal care in public health facilities at Covid-19 pandemic in Ethiopia. PLOS Global Public Health. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000825

AUTHORS

5 · 4 CENTRES

Arayasillase Assegid Tefera, Neil Abdurashid Ibrahim, Abdurezaq Adem Umer, Vanessa Carels, Julia Robinson

1 HCS-RFSA Health and Nutrition Coordinator Dire-Dawa Branch, Dire-Dawa, Ethiopia
2 Department of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Science, Dire-Dawa University, Dire-Dawa, Ethiopia
3 Public Health Department, College of Medicine and Health Science, Dire-Dawa University, Dire-Dawa, Ethiopia
PLOS: Public Library of Science, UNITED STATES

EDITOR / REVIEWER

Julia Robinson