Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Pregnant Women Regarding Iron Deficiency Anemia, Sana'a-Yemen

Abstract

Background: The leading cause of anemia worldwide is iron deficiency, which is responsible for about half of all cases of anemia during pregnancy, and an estimated 38% of pregnant women in developed countries have deficiency of iron.  Aim: To assess iron deficiency anemia -related knowledge, attitude and practices among pregnant women visiting health centers in Sana'a city, Yemen. Methods: A KAP study was conducted from September 2021 to February 2022. A sample size of 226 pregnant women was enrolled in this study. A multi-stage randomized procedure was used to select the study population. Demographic variables, knowledge, attitudes and practices related to iron deficiency anemia were collected. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 21. The association between the variables was measured using a chi-square test. P-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: The results of the study showed that the majority of pregnant women were 37.2% older than 29 years. Most of them (38.9%) had a secondary education. The majority (80.1%) housewives and (89.9%) from rural areas. The majority (92.9%) had low knowledge of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and the majority (86.7%) had low practices. Only (49.3%) had a positive attitude about IDA.  There was no significant association between age, place of residence and overall level of knowledge (p-value>0.05), while there was a significant association between education, occupation and overall level of knowledge (p-value<0.05). Furthermore, there was no significant association between demographic characteristics and overall level of practices (p-value <0.05). Conclusions: The knowledge and practical of pregnant women about IDA was low, but it was found that the attitude was better. Increase awareness should be applied in iron-rich diet.