Iron intake adherence among pregnant women in four Peruvian cities and potential associated factors, 2021

Santos-Antonio G.; Gonzales-Achuy E.; Solís-Sánchez G.; Hinojosa-Mamani P.; Aparco J.P. · Anales de la Facultad de Medicina (2025) · DOI: 10.15381/anales.v86i2.30986

Resumen

Introduction. Anemia during pregnancy is a public health problem, and one strategy to combat it is iron supplementation. Objective. To estimate the prevalence of adherence to iron supplementation among pregnant women and explore the factors associated with adherence to iron consumption in health facilities in four cities in Peru. Methods. An observational, descriptive, mixed-method study was conducted with two components: quantitative and qualitative. This report presents the quantitative analysis. A total of 404 pregnant women participated, and information was collected on their sociodemographic characteristics and care received at 10 health facilities. Adherence to iron consumption was considered adequate if it was greater than 75% of the expected consumption for gestational age, taking into account whether it was preventive and/or therapeutic. Factors associated with adherence were determined using a multilevel mixed-effects generalized linear model, considering the management scheme (therapeutic, preventive). Results. Adequate adherence to iron consumption was found in 29.5% of the pregnant women and the adherence was lower in those who received iron as a therapeutic regimen for anemia (aPR = 0.23, 95%CI: 0.10-0.53). Pregnant women with adequate prenatal care (PNC) according to gestational age were more likely to have adequate adherence (aPR = 2.10 95%CI: 1.13-3.90). Conclusions. Approximately one-third of pregnant women demonstrated adequate adherence to iron supplementation. Adherence was lower among those who were prescribed iron as treatment for anemia, whereas higher adherence was observed among women who attended regular prenatal check-ups. © (2025), (Anales de la Facultad de Medicina). All rights reserved.