Effect of a community-based approach of iron and folic acid supplementation on compliance by pregnant women in Kiambu County, Kenya: A quasi-experimental study.
<h4>Introduction</h4>Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (IFAS) is an essential and affordable intervention strategy for prevention of anaemia during pregnancy. The supplements are currently provided for free to pregnant women in Kenya during antenatal care (ANC), but compliance remains...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227351 |
| _version_ | 1819007977319825408 |
|---|---|
| author | Mary Wanjira Kamau Samuel Thuo Kimani Waithira Mirie Isaac Kamau Mugoya |
| author_facet | Mary Wanjira Kamau Samuel Thuo Kimani Waithira Mirie Isaac Kamau Mugoya |
| author_sort | Mary Wanjira Kamau |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Introduction</h4>Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (IFAS) is an essential and affordable intervention strategy for prevention of anaemia during pregnancy. The supplements are currently provided for free to pregnant women in Kenya during antenatal care (ANC), but compliance remains low over the years. There is need for diversification of IFAS programme implementation by exploring other distribution channels to complement existing antenatal distribution and ensure consistent access to IFAS supplements.<h4>Objectives</h4>To determine the effect of a community-based approach of IFAS distribution on compliance and assess side-effects experienced and their mitigation by pregnant women in Kiambu County.<h4>Methodology</h4>A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study design was used, consisting of an intervention and a control group, among 340 pregnant women 15-49 years, in five health facilities in Lari Sub-County in Kiambu County, between June 2016 and March 2017. Community health volunteers provided IFAS supplements, counselling and weekly follow-up to pregnant women in the intervention group while the control group followed standard practice from health facilities. Baseline and endline data were collected during antenatal care and compared. Quantitative data was analyzed using STATA version 14. Analysis of effect of intervention was done using Difference-In-Difference regression approach.<h4>Results</h4>Levels of compliance increased by 8% in intervention group and 6% in control group. There was increased awareness of IFAS side-effects across groups. The intervention group reported experiencing less side-effects and were better able to manage them compared to the control group.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Implementation a community-based approach improved maternal compliance with IFAS, awareness of IFAS side effects and their management, with better improvement being recorded in the intervention group. Hence, there is need to integrate community-based approach with antenatal distribution of IFAS to improve supplementation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T00:33:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1dc4cfb5028b441f93d87f78487d741a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T00:33:09Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-1dc4cfb5028b441f93d87f78487d741a2022-12-21T19:21:51ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032020-01-01151e022735110.1371/journal.pone.0227351Effect of a community-based approach of iron and folic acid supplementation on compliance by pregnant women in Kiambu County, Kenya: A quasi-experimental study.Mary Wanjira KamauSamuel Thuo KimaniWaithira MirieIsaac Kamau Mugoya<h4>Introduction</h4>Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (IFAS) is an essential and affordable intervention strategy for prevention of anaemia during pregnancy. The supplements are currently provided for free to pregnant women in Kenya during antenatal care (ANC), but compliance remains low over the years. There is need for diversification of IFAS programme implementation by exploring other distribution channels to complement existing antenatal distribution and ensure consistent access to IFAS supplements.<h4>Objectives</h4>To determine the effect of a community-based approach of IFAS distribution on compliance and assess side-effects experienced and their mitigation by pregnant women in Kiambu County.<h4>Methodology</h4>A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study design was used, consisting of an intervention and a control group, among 340 pregnant women 15-49 years, in five health facilities in Lari Sub-County in Kiambu County, between June 2016 and March 2017. Community health volunteers provided IFAS supplements, counselling and weekly follow-up to pregnant women in the intervention group while the control group followed standard practice from health facilities. Baseline and endline data were collected during antenatal care and compared. Quantitative data was analyzed using STATA version 14. Analysis of effect of intervention was done using Difference-In-Difference regression approach.<h4>Results</h4>Levels of compliance increased by 8% in intervention group and 6% in control group. There was increased awareness of IFAS side-effects across groups. The intervention group reported experiencing less side-effects and were better able to manage them compared to the control group.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Implementation a community-based approach improved maternal compliance with IFAS, awareness of IFAS side effects and their management, with better improvement being recorded in the intervention group. Hence, there is need to integrate community-based approach with antenatal distribution of IFAS to improve supplementation.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227351 |
| spellingShingle | Mary Wanjira Kamau Samuel Thuo Kimani Waithira Mirie Isaac Kamau Mugoya Effect of a community-based approach of iron and folic acid supplementation on compliance by pregnant women in Kiambu County, Kenya: A quasi-experimental study. PLoS ONE |
| title | Effect of a community-based approach of iron and folic acid supplementation on compliance by pregnant women in Kiambu County, Kenya: A quasi-experimental study. |
| title_full | Effect of a community-based approach of iron and folic acid supplementation on compliance by pregnant women in Kiambu County, Kenya: A quasi-experimental study. |
| title_fullStr | Effect of a community-based approach of iron and folic acid supplementation on compliance by pregnant women in Kiambu County, Kenya: A quasi-experimental study. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of a community-based approach of iron and folic acid supplementation on compliance by pregnant women in Kiambu County, Kenya: A quasi-experimental study. |
| title_short | Effect of a community-based approach of iron and folic acid supplementation on compliance by pregnant women in Kiambu County, Kenya: A quasi-experimental study. |
| title_sort | effect of a community based approach of iron and folic acid supplementation on compliance by pregnant women in kiambu county kenya a quasi experimental study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227351 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marywanjirakamau effectofacommunitybasedapproachofironandfolicacidsupplementationoncompliancebypregnantwomeninkiambucountykenyaaquasiexperimentalstudy AT samuelthuokimani effectofacommunitybasedapproachofironandfolicacidsupplementationoncompliancebypregnantwomeninkiambucountykenyaaquasiexperimentalstudy AT waithiramirie effectofacommunitybasedapproachofironandfolicacidsupplementationoncompliancebypregnantwomeninkiambucountykenyaaquasiexperimentalstudy AT isaackamaumugoya effectofacommunitybasedapproachofironandfolicacidsupplementationoncompliancebypregnantwomeninkiambucountykenyaaquasiexperimentalstudy |