Publication:

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding iron deficiency anemia among adolescent girls in urban Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh: a cross-sectional study

Background Iron deficiency anemia remains a major public health problem among adolescent girls, particularly in developing countries. Adequate knowledge, positive attitudes, and healthy dietary practices are necessary for the prevention and control of anemia among adolescent girls. Objective was to assess the 0es (KAP) regarding iron deficiency anemia among adolescent girls and to determine the association between KAP scores and selected demographic variables.

Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 adolescent girls aged 10-19 years using a structured pre-tested questionnaire. Data was collected to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices related to iron deficiency anemia. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and the chi-square test was then applied to determine the association between variables. A p<0.05 was considered statistically significant association.

Results The findings revealed that the majority of respondents had good knowledge regarding anemia, while attitude and practices varied among participants. Demographic variables such as age, education level, and family type showed varying levels of association with KAP scores. A significant association was found between knowledge and attitude (χ2=23.15, p<0.001) and between attitude and practice (χ2=16.56, p=0.002). However, no significant association was found between knowledge and practice (χ2=0.55, p=0.968).

Conclusions Although awareness regarding anemia was quite high among adolescent girls, several gaps were observed in practice measures. Health education programs focused on nutrition, iron-rich diets, and regular health screening are recommended to improve preventive practices and reduce the burden of anemia among adolescent girls.