Adherence to iron and folic acid supplementation and associated factors amongmothers receiving antenatal care in Lira district, Uganda

Background:Prenatal iron and folic acid supplementation is an economical strategy for reducing iron and folic acid deficiency anemia among expectant mothers in resource-limited countries like Uganda.This study aimed to assess the level of compliance with iron and folic acid supplementation(IFAS)and identify associated factors among mothers receiving prenatal services in Lira district,Uganda.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted at the antenatal clinic of Lira Regional Referral Hospital,involving 252 pregnant mothers.Adherence levels to IFAS were evaluated using a visual analogue scale,and associated factors were collected through an interviewer-administered questionnaire.The data were analyzed using SPSS software,and the results were presented in tables.Results:Only 46%of the mothers attending the antenatal clinic adhered to IFAS during the 30 days preceding the study.Participants who had good knowledge of IFAS before recruitment(odds ratio(OR)1.49,95%confidence interval(CI)1.12–1.97),utilized reminder techniques(OR 1.05,95%CI 1.02–1.09),and received support from their partners or relatives(OR 1.56,95%CI 1.07–2.29)were more likely to have good adherence.The main reasons for missing IFAS were forgetfulness and fear of taking too many tablets.Conclusions:There was a low adherence rate to IFAS among mothers attending antenatal clinics in Lira district.Further investigations are recommended to identify barriers to adherence,and comprehensive health education programs should be provided to pregnant mothers.

Periconceptional Folic Acid Supplementation in Chinese Women： A Cross-sectional Study

Objective To investigate the status of folic acid （FA） supplementation and determinants of its use inpregnant Chinese women Methods In this cross-sectional study, questionnaires were used to collect information of participantsand FA supplementation. Women were recruited between 6 and 12 weeks postpartum in Tianjin, China,between July 2015 and July 2016 Results A total of 1,921 women were recruited in the study. Approximately 93.1% of the studyparticipants used FA, while 14.4% of the women taking FA from three months prior to preconception tothree months post-conception. Women who took FA for three months prior to preconception throughat least three months into their pregnancy were more likely to be between 30 and 34 years old （OR =2.91, 95% CI： 1.15, 7.33）, employed （OR = 2.07, 95% CI： 1.17, 3.67）, primigravida （OR = 5.20, 95% CI：3.02, 8.96）, married to spouses with an intermediate education level （OR = 2.92, 95% CI： 1.45, 5.89）, andearn a high family income （OR = 3.19, 95% CI： 1.57, 6.49） Conclusion The prevalence of periconceptional FA intake was far below the requirements of theNational Health and Family Planning Commission of China; therefore, knowledge of FA supplementationshould be strengthened among women who are or planning to become pregnant.

Folic Acid Supplementation in Chinese Periconceptional Population:Results from the SPCC Study

Objective To determine the prevalence and determinants of folic acid(FA)supplementation in Chinese couples planning for pregnancy and in women during early pregnancy.Methods This was a cross-sectional study based on the Shanghai PreConception Cohort(SPCC)study.Data on FA supplementation and socio-demographic features were collected using questionnaires.Couples visiting clinics for pre-pregnancy examination and pregnant women at<14 gestational weeks were recruited in Shanghai,China,between March 2016 and September 2018.Results Among the pregnancy planners,42.4%(4,710/11,099)women and 17.1%(1,377/8,045)men used FA supplements,while 93.4%(14,585/15,615)of the pregnant women used FA supplements.FA supplement use was higher in female pregnancy planners who were older(RR:1.13,95%CI:1.08–1.18),had higher education(RR:1.71,95%CI:1.53–1.92),and were residing in urban districts(RR:1.06,95%CI:1.01–1.11)of FA supplementation;female pregnancy planners with alcohol consumption(RR:0.95,95%CI:0.90–0.99)had lower odds of FA supplementation.In early pregnancy,women with higher educational level(RR:1.04,95%CI:1.03–1.06),who underwent pre-pregnancy examination(RR:1.02,95%CI:1.01–1.03)had higher odds of using an FA supplement;older aged(RR:0.99,95%CI:0.98–0.99),and multigravida(RR:0.97,95%CI:0.96–0.98)had lower odds of FA supplementation.Conclusion Although the majority of pregnant women took FA supplements,more than half of the women planning for pregnancy did not.Urgent strategies are needed to improve pre-conception FA supplementation.