Maternal Iron-Folate Adherence and Perceptions on the Management of Anaemia among Anaemic South Indian Pregnant Women

Abstract

Background: Anaemia is a very common nutritional disorder in pregnancy that causes several maternal and foetal complications. The present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice on the management of anaemia among anaemic pregnant women in RGGW&CH, Puducherry. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 anaemic pregnant women. Data were collected from the mothers by using a structured questionnaire to assess their knowledge, a five-point Likert scale to assess attitude and checklist to assess practice regarding the management of anaemia, and Medical Adherence Rating Scale – 5 (MARS-5 Scale) used to assess the adherence to iron-folate supplements. The collected data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. Results: The results showed that 86.7% of mothers had moderate knowledge, 75% of mothers had a positive attitude, 69.2% had moderate practice, and 72.5 % of good adherence to IFAS supplementation Conclusion: The researcher concluded that anaemic mothers had a moderate level of perceptions on the management of anaemia and good adherence to iron-folate therapy. This shows the need for health education for anaemic mothers to improve anaemia status among anaemic antenatal mothers.