Compliance with oral iron supplementation among pregnant women in the Tain district, Ghana

Abstract

Background/Aims Iron deficiency anaemia is considered a major global public health challenge, especially in developing countries, with pregnant women being most affected. In Ghana, the prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy is relatively high, particularly in the Tain district. This has been attributed to problems with compliance to oral iron and folic acid supplementation. The aim of this study was to assess personal factors associated with compliance with oral iron supplementation in rural areas of the Tain district. Methods A cross-sectional design was used for this study, which collected quantitative data from 480 pregnant women. Ten health facilities were selected, with proportional allocation of the sample to each facility. Simple random sampling was used to select pregnant women in the clinical setting. A structured questionnaire was used to collect participants' data and descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. Results Only a third (34%) of respondents complied with oral iron supplementation. Cohabiting with a partner (P=0.003), having no formal or only primary level education (P=0.009), having a partner with middle school or junior high school level education (P=0.014) and being in the first trimester (P<0.001) were significantly associated with compliance. Conclusions Compliance with oral iron supplementation was low. Health education on iron supplementation should be strengthened by targeting pregnant women at risk of non-compliance. This education should be carried out by midwives during routine antenatal visits.