Peer-reviewed article
School Availability of Iron Supplements and Peer Support as Key Determinants of Iron Supplementation Adherence among Adolescent Girls in Urban Indonesia
Noerfitri Noerfitri, Rohayati Rohayati ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This cross-sectional study looked at what is linked to whether adolescent girls in Bekasi, Indonesia take iron supplements as recommended. It surveyed 400 girls between June and August 2023 using questionnaires. Having supplements available at school was the factor most strongly linked to adherence, followed by peer support, family support, the girl's own attitude and teacher support. The authors suggest anemia prevention programmes should focus on the factors that matter most for adherence.
Key points
- Anemia prevalence in Indonesia ranges from 20% to 40%.
- Iron supplementation coverage in Bekasi City is 13.29%, and only 8.3% of adolescent girls adhere to supplementation.
- School availability of iron supplements had the highest adjusted odds ratio (AOR 4.738, 95% CI 2.654–8.460).
- Peer support (AOR 4.218), family support (AOR 2.463), attitude (AOR 2.291) and teacher support (AOR 2.089) were also significantly associated with adherence.
- School availability emerged as the strongest factor associated with adherence.
Limitations
As a cross-sectional survey, it shows associations only and cannot show that these factors cause adherence. It covers one city and does not test any intervention, so it cannot show whether changing these factors would raise adherence.
Abstract
Iron and folic acid supplementation for adolescent girls is essential for preventing anemia in countries such as Indonesia, where the prevalence of anemia ranges from 20% to 40%. The iron supplementation coverage rate in Bekasi City is 13.29%. However, only 8.3% of adolescent girls adhere to iron supplementation. This study aimed to analyze relationships between predisposing, enabling, reinforcing factors and adherence to iron supplementation among adolescent girls in Bekasi, Indonesia. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between June and August 2023 using validated questionnaires to assess predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors. A total of 400 participants were selected using the multistage sampling method consisting of cluster random sampling followed by consecutive sampling. Chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to establish the relationship between the variables. The availability of iron supplementation at schools, peer support, family support, attitude, and teacher support were found to be significantly associated with adjusted odds ratios(AOR) consecutively of 4.738 (2.654–8.460), 4.218 (2.150–8.275),2.463 (1.379–4.398), 2.291 (1.273–4.112), and 2.089 (1.058–4.124). The availability of supplements in schools emerged as the strongest factor associated with adherence to iron supplementation. Anemia prevention strategies for adolescent girls should prioritize interventions targeting the most influential determinants of adherence.