Improvement in Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Iron Deficiency Anaemia among Iron-Deficient Female Adolescents after Nutritional Educational Intervention

Abstract

Anaemia and iron deficiency are very common worldwide among female adolescents. There is a dearth of literature concerning the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). The magnitude of anaemia as a health problem is enormous and can be engaged by increasing awareness and the promotion of correct attitudes and practices. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a nutrition education intervention in iron deficiency anaemia on the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among iron-deficient female adolescents in the Gaza Strip. In this intervention study, 89 female adolescents aged 15-19 were recruited and randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Both of the groups received iron supplementation (ferrous fumarate 200 mg) weekly for three months. The intervention group attended nutrition education sessions for 3 months, while the control group did not. The two groups completed KAP questionnaires at baseline and after six months. The nutrition education intervention consisted of lectures, presentations, interactive discussions using posters, and the distribution of information booklets and brochures about proper nutrition, and was conducted for three months. KAP and overall scores before and after the intervention were compared using the Wilcoxon signed ranks test, as the scores did not show normal distribution. Our findings revealed that overall, the female adolescents' knowledge improved significantly after a nutrition education intervention, as the percentage of good knowledge (≥50 %) was 22.7% pre-nutrition educational intervention, and increased to 90.9% post intervention (p <0.001) in the intervention group. Attitude and practice also improved from 36.4% and 54.5% at pre-test to 75.5 % and 75.5% (p <0.001 and p <0.002) at post-test, respectively. Nutrition education intervention has an impact on improving knowledge, attitude and practices of iron-deficient female adolescents compared with control. The nutrition programme should be adopted and integrated into comprehensive intervention programmes to target IDA among adolescents at various levels in Palestine.

Educational Program on the Knowledge and Attitude of Pregnant Women Regarding Neonatal Jaundice

“…The present study results indicated that the attitude of the pregnant women's toward NNJ in the study group pregnant women's was changed positively after the educational program with SSD between pre and posttest. This result was in agreement with the previous educational program done by [18,19,20,21] From the researchers' viewpoint, the educational program increased the pregnant women's' awareness about complications of NNJ; modify the misconceptions and negative traditional attitude toward NNJ manage especially illiterate women as exposure babies o sun light, give neonate certain herbs and others, and the importance of early intervention. These were important factors which change the pregnant women's attitude positively.…”

Systematic Review: Effect of Health Education Intervention on Improving Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Adolescents on Malnutrition

“…The eight studies were summarized based on authors/year of study/country/study design, study settings/duration of intervention, target population/theory used, description of the intervention, outcome assessed/statistical significance of the outcome, effect size, and effectiveness of the intervention (Table 1). Out of the eight studies included, four were from high income countries [35,36,39,40], two from middle income countries [37,38], and two from low income countries [34,41]. Three of the studies were individual randomized controlled trials [34,36,41] and five were clustered randomized controlled trials [35,[37][38][39][40].…”

Balanced diet related knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) among adolescent school girls in Noakhali district, Bangladesh: a cross sectional study

“…So, nutritional knowledge is required for a healthy lifestyle. Improving nutritional knowledge, attitude, and practices of adolescent girls will lead to more economic growth and healthier individuals [13].…”