An assessment of interventional strategies for control of anemia among adolescent girls in an urban slum of Karad, Dist. Satara, Maharashtra

Objectives: To find the prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls and to assess the impact of nutritional education, therapeutic intervention and supplementary intervention for the control of anemia amongst these girls. Materials & Methods: A longitudinal study was carried out in an urban field practice area of Department of Community Medicine in a teaching institute in Western Maharashtra. All the adolescent girls in the age group of 11-18 years were contacted by a house-to-house survey during which data regarding social and personal factors was collected along with hemoglobin (Hb) estimation. Out of the total 103 adolescent girls 88 (85.4%) were anemic of which 52 (50.48%) had mild anemia, 34 (33%) moderate anemia and 2 (1.9%) had severe anemia. Age match distribution was done of the 52 mildly anemic girls in Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 in the size of 17, 17 and 18 respectively. Interventions of nutritional education, distribution of iron and folic acid tablets and supplementary nutrition by giving iron rich preparations was done in the above three groups for a period of one month and Hb was rechecked. Statistical Analysis: was done by applying one way ANOVA, Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Results: One way ANOVA revealed homogeneity in age matched distribution of girls in 3 groups. There was significant rise in the Hb level in group 2 who received iron and folic acid tablets. No change in Hb level was seen in group 1and 3. But in some girls there was improvement in Hb levels however in some there was reduction in Hb level belonging to group 1 and 3. By applying backward logistic regression model it was found that increasing age, mixed diet and supplementation of iron and folic acid were associated with improved Hb level irrespective of intervention in group 1 and 3.