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. 2019 Feb 8;16(1):14.
doi: 10.1186/s12978-019-0679-8.

Compliance with iron folic acid and associated factors among pregnant women through pill count in Hawassa city, South Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study

Zemenu Yohannes Kassa  1 , Tegibelu Awraris  2 , Alemneh Kabeta Daba  2 , Zelalem Tenaw  2
Affiliations

Compliance with iron folic acid and associated factors among pregnant women through pill count in Hawassa city, South Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study

Zemenu Yohannes Kassa et al. Reprod Health. .

Abstract

Background: Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy is a public health problem across the globe that adversely affects maternal and perinatal outcome. World Health Organization recommends that universal iron folic acid supplementation of pregnant women. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine compliance and identify factors associated with Iron folic acid among pregnant women.

Methods: Community based cross-sectional study was conducted from November 01-December 30, 2015 on pregnant women from Hawassa city. An Interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 422 selected study subjects using simple random sampling technique. Data were entered in to Epi-Data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were employed to test presence of association between dependent and independent variables. P value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Result: In this study prevalence of compliance with iron folic acid was reported 38.3% (95%CI: 33.1, 42.5). Women who know the importance of iron folic acid had 6 times higher odds of compliance with iron folic acid than counterpart (AOR = 6.1, 95% CI: 3.53, 10.24).Pregnant women who develop complication during the previous pregnancy had 0.34 times lower odds of compliance with counterpart (AOR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.16-0.76), experiencing iron folic acid related side effects during the previous pregnancy had 8.5 time higher odds to decrease compliance with than those did not experience iron folic acid related side effects (AOR = 8.5, 95% CI: 4.65.-15.35).

Conclusion: In this study demonstrated that compliance with iron folic acid among pregnant women through pill count is low. Women who know the importance of iron folic acid, women who develop complications during previous pregnancy, experiencing iron folic acid related side effects during the previous pregnancy were independent predictor of compliance with iron folic acid. Health care providers shall strongly counsel the importance and side effect of iron folic acid before prescribing. The responsible bodies avail suitable iron folic acid pill and less side effect brands. Health care providers and health extension workers shall be monitored iron folic acid by pill count during their home to home visits.

Keywords: Ethiopia; Iron folic acid Compliance; Pill count.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author’s information

Zemenu Yohannes: MSc in Maternity and Reproductive Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

Tegibelu Awraris: MSc in Epidemiology School of Public Health and Environmental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

Alemneh Kabeta: MSc in Applied Human Nutrition, School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

Zelalem Tenaw: MSc in Maternity and Reproductive Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Ethical clearance was obtained from Institution Review Board (IRB) of College of Medicine and Health Sciences (Ref No IRB/o49/08).

Ethical clearance paper was presented to Hawassa city administration health office to get permission letter to undertake research activities in selected kebeles and verbal consent also took from the participants. Participation was based on willingness after information sheet was explained the study participant. There was no harm with participation in this interview and to show IFA (tablets) pill. Participants were told as they have full right to stop interview any time if they did not want to participate. Confidentiality was assured making the questionnaire anonymous.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Pregnant women’s the reason of non-compliance of iron folic acid taking in Hawassa city, South Ethiopia, 2015
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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