Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Regarding Prevention of Anaemia amongst Non-pregnant Women of Reproductive Age in Rural Communities of South-West Nigeria

Background: Anaemia in women of reproductive age (WRA) is a common health problem in the developing countries and non-pregnant WRA constitute the third most affected group after preschool-aged children and pregnant women. This study was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding anaemia prevention amongst non-pregnant WRA in rural communities of South-West Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among two hundred non-pregnant WRA aged 18-43 years. After ethical clearance was obtained, data which included socio-demographic, knowledge, attitude and practice-related issues were collected from the respondents with pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire which was designed by the authors, adjusted to local setting and pre-tested for congruency and exclusion of ambiguities.

Results: The mean age of the non-pregnant women of reproductive age in this study was 31± 7.6 years. Many of the respondents, 82 of 200 (40.5%) were in the age group 35-43 years. The knowledge score in this study was adequate 9.5%, moderate 67.5% and inadequate 23.5%. In all age groups, the highest scores were found in the average knowledge category. There was a significant relationship between marital status and level of knowledge and majority of the respondents had positive attitude and good practices in the prevention of anaemia.

Conclusion: Respondents had a fairly good knowledge relating to nutrition and majority of them had positive attitude and good practices in the prevention of anaemia. There is a need to improve the knowledge of the rural women on anaemia which will in turn enhance their practices. The community health personnel should play a vital role in healthcare delivery in these communities.