Iron and Folic Acid Consumption by the Ante-natal Mothers in a Rural Area of India in 2010

Abstract

Background: The average rural Indian women enter her reproductive life, particularly in pregnancy, suffer from nutritional anemia due to iron deficiency. National program of India had implemented a strategy for supplementation of iron folic acid by means of iron folic acid (IFA) tablets at least 3 months during antenatal period. The study had been conducted to assess the proportion of pregnant mothers consumes the IFA tablets and the factors determine compliance.

Methods: A cross‑sectional, community‑based study was conducted in rural area of India on 50 antenatal mothers by multistage sampling technique. The data were analyzed by using SPSS 16 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, ver. 16), Chicago, considering the level of significance at 95%.

Results: The IFA tablet was adequately consumed by 62% mother among the study population. The consumption is more among the mother who were explained properly than those who were not explained by the health worker (χ2 = 4.529, P < 0.05).

Conclusions: The compliance of iron folic acid tablets was still far behind to reach the National Goal though the service component are quite strong by the front line workers and health providers. An effort should be given at the level of front line health workers by training and re‑training them to improve the compliance of IFA consumption.

Keywords: Accredited social health activists, angan wadi workers, antenatal mother, IFA compliance, iron folic acid tablet