Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Anemia Among Pregnant Women in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Abstract

Introduction: Iron deficiency anemia is among most vulnerable in pregnant women is a major public health concern mainly affecting not only the pregnant women but also their birth outcomes. Despite of implementing nutrition intervention and iron supplementation, the prevalence is still high. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice towards anemia and its association with anemia among pregnant women in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 162 pregnant women aged 18 to 49 years who attended two randomly selected health clinic located in Kota Kinabalu, through convenient sampling. A validated questionnaire was used to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice towards anemia. Results: Most pregnant women (54.3%) had good knowledge and 51.2% showed a positive attitude towards anemia. The pregnant women elicited moderate practice towards anemia. A total of 37% of pregnant women were anemic. No association was found between knowledge and attitude toward anemia on the incidence of anemia among pregnant women. Conclusion: This present study revealed that while most pregnant women had good knowledge and a positive attitude towards anemia, their practices were only moderate. No association was found between knowledge and attitude and the incidence of anemia. These findings warrant further in-depth study in a wider population of pregnant women to unravel the incongruities identified.