Effect of a nutrition education intervention on knowledge of anemia among caregivers of preschool children in Lima, Peru

Paz Olivas Y.; Ignacio Cconchoy F.L. · Nutricion Clinica y Dietetica Hospitalaria (2026) · DOI: 10.12873/ncdh-2026-49

Resumen

Introduction. Nutrition education has been shown to have positive effects on knowledge of food and nutrition; however, evidence regarding its impact on knowledge of anemia among preschool caregivers is limited. Objective. To evaluate the effect of a nutrition education intervention on knowledge of anemia among caregivers of preschool-aged children in Lima, Peru. Materials and Methods. A randomized controlled clinical trial with pretest and posttest measurements. Preschool caregivers participated and were randomly assigned to either an experimental group that received a nutrition education intervention or a control group that received standard nutritional recommendations. The outcome was the level of knowledge about anemia, assessed using a validated questionnaire. The follow-up period was 12 weeks. Categorical variables were compared using the chi-square test and scores using Student’s t-test. Within-group and between-group analyses were performed, estimating mean differences, 95% confidence intervals, and effect sizes. An intention-to-treat analysis was applied (p < 0.05). Results. A total of 62 caregivers were included (31 per group), predominantly women, living with the person they were caring for, and having completed high school. Both groups were comparable at baseline. After the intervention, the experimental group showed a greater increase in knowledge (Δ=1.74; 95% CI: 0.85–2.64; p <0.001) than the control group,(Δ=0.89; 95% CI: 0.11–1.66; p=0.027). However, the difference between groups was not significant (between-group Δ=0.85 points; 95% CI: −0.31 to 2.01; p=0.146; effect size=0.37). Discussion. The results suggest a possible beneficial effect, although they should be interpreted with caution due to the study’s limited statistical power. These findings suggest a need to strengthen educational interventions to achieve a greater differential impact. Conclusion. The nutrition education intervention led to improved knowledge about anemia in the experimental group; however, no significant differences were observed compared to the control group at the end of the intervention.

Instituciones: Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola; Universidad Femenina del Sagrado Corazón