Pregnant women’s knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the prevention of iron deficiency anemia among Ethiopian pregnant women

• Published in: Caspian journal of reproductive medicine Vol. 4; no. 1; pp. 1 - 7
• Main Authors: Masresha Leta Serbesa, Maleda Tefera Iffa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Babol University of Medical Sciences 01.11.2018
• Subjects: anemia; developing countries; hemoglobin; pregnancy
• ISSN: 2423-5660; 2423-5660

Background: Despite the fact that there are various methods for the treatment and prevention of maternal anemia, there are still many pregnant women affected by anemia-related health problems and contributing factors. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of pregnant women with regard to the prevention of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in public hospitals of Harar, Eastern Ethiopia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on 128 pregnant women, who referred to public hospitals in Harar, Eastern Ethiopia for antenatal care. Sample selection was based on random sampling. The anemia status of the pregnant women was determined by measuring their hemoglobin and ferritin serum levels. The data was collected using a close-ended, semi-structured questionnaire. Results: According to the results, 68% of the participants had no IDA. Most of them had heard about anemia and defined it. The majority of them knew the causes and the preventive methods (58.6%). Most of them had a positive perception of the consumption of folic acid, family planning, feeding on regular meals. Most of them (59.4%) took folic acid during pregnancy, and 56.3% fed on fiber-rich food. Conclusion: This study found that around one-third of the pregnant women had IDA.  So it is vital to promote health education, involve private health institutions and husbands. Health facilities and stakeholders should, therefore, work on increasing the awareness, positive perception and skill necessary for the prevention of IDA.