Examining Means of Reaching Adolescent Girls for Iron Supplementation in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency in adolescent girls from the developing world. One of the recommended interventions to improve iron status in adolescent girls is iron supplementation. Yet the provision of iron supplements to adolescent girls proved to be a challenging task for the health systems across the developing world. Objective: The objective of the study was to examine means of reaching adolescent girls for iron supplementation in Northern Ethiopia. Methodology: Analytical cross-sectional study consisting of both quantitative and qualitative approaches to data collection and analysis was used in this study. Stratified multi-stage systematic random sampling technique was adopted and primary quantitative data were collected from 828 (578 school attending and 250 non school attending) adolescent girls recruited from nine districts of Tigray. The primary quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. The qualitative data collected through key informant interviews and focus group discussions were transcribed verbatim and qualitatively analyzed. Results: The mean (SD) age of the girls was 16.7 (1.4) years. Four hundred forty seven (54%), 355 (42.9%) and 26 (3.1%) of the adolescent girls had low, medium and high diet diversity scores, respectively. More than half, 467 (56%), of the adolescent girls believed that adolescent girls were overloaded with household jobs everyday compared to boys from their respective communities. Key informants said that, there is no adolescent nutrition message promoted in the study area. Low community awareness, perceiving iron tablet as a contraceptive, religious and cultural influences, and lack of confidence in supplementation value of iron tablets, are some of the potential barriers mentioned by the key informant and focus group discussion participants. Schools (45%), health centers (27%) and health posts (26%) were the preferred public facilities for provision of iron supplements to student adolescent girls whereas schools (11%), health centers (47%) and health posts (41%) were the preferred public facilities for provision of iron supplements to adolescent girls who were not attending schools from the study communities. Conclusion: The health posts and health centers were the preferred health facilities for iron supplementation to adolescent girls who were not attending schools while the school was the preferred facility for iron supplementation of student adolescent girls.

Factors associated with dietary diversity among adolescents in Woldia, Northeast Ethiopia

“…Meanwhile, the mean DDS of the current study was consistent with a study done in India 5.75 [49], Amhara Region among female adolescents 5.6 [4], Tigray region among female adolescents 3.5 [50], and Bangladesh among adult females 4.28 [51].…”

“…In the present study, milk consumption was 7.7% which is lower than the study conducted in India 37.25% [ 54 ], 79.2% in Iran [ 48 ], and 26.5% in Tigray Region [ 50 ]. This variation would be the socio-economic difference between the study participants and lack of animal source foods and water in the study area due to seasonal ELINO drought.…”

Factors Correlated with the Intention of Iron Tablet Consumption among Female Adolescents

“…Research in Vietnam on the factors related to the consumption of supplements, including iron, shows that the intention of women to take supplements, especially iron, is still low outside of pregnancy (Nechitilo et al 2016). Research carried out in Tigray, Ethiopia, revealed that adolescents do not consume iron tablets due to public awareness, misinterpreting that iron tablets are contraceptive pills, religious and moral influences, and a lack of trust in the value of the iron tablet (Mulugeta et al 2015). Some studies suggest that anaemia prevention programs in female adolescents were more effective when school-based (Mulugeta et al 2015;Rakesh et al 2015).…”

“…Research carried out in Tigray, Ethiopia, revealed that adolescents do not consume iron tablets due to public awareness, misinterpreting that iron tablets are contraceptive pills, religious and moral influences, and a lack of trust in the value of the iron tablet (Mulugeta et al 2015). Some studies suggest that anaemia prevention programs in female adolescents were more effective when school-based (Mulugeta et al 2015;Rakesh et al 2015).…”

Hubungan Pengetahuan Remaja Putri Tentang Konsumsi Zat Besi Dengan Kejadian Anemia Di SMP 18 Surakarta

“…Hasil penelitian yang dilakukan oleh Mulugeta et al (2015) menunjukkan bahwa masih terdapat remaja putri yang memiliki persepsi yang salah mengenai konsumsi zat besi. Anggapan bahwa zat besi merupakan pil kontrasepsi yang menyebabkan infertilitas, persepsi perasaan sakit setelah mengonsumsi zat besi, dan keraguan responden adalah hambatan potensial untuk suplementasi zat besi pada remaja perempuan dari komunitas penelitian tersebut [30] .…”