IEC (Information Education Communication) Module as an Effective Tool for Mitigation of Iron Deficiency Anaemia among Rural Adolescent Girls of Tarai Region of Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

Aim: The present study was planned to assess the effectiveness of Information, Education, Communication module in reducing the incidence of anaemia among rural adolescent girls by bringing about a change in their knowledge attitude and practices related to this nutritional deficiency disease. Study Design: Concurrent parallel study design. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Foods and Nutrition, College of Home Science, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, between November, 2015 to October, 2016. Methodology: A total of 288 rural adolescent girls of government schools in the age between 13-16 years were taken for the study. Subjects were divided in 2 groups: experimental group (exposed to IEC) and control group (not exposed to IEC), each having144 girls each. Haemoglobin levels and knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) scores were recorded using haemoglobin meter and questionnaire respectively, before and after IEC programme in both the groups. Paired-t test and z test were applied to compare changes before and after the intervention in haemoglobin level and knowledge, attitude and practices scores of the adolescent girls. Results: Improvement in the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the subjects in experimental group was observed (increase of 18.93 percent in knowledge, 6.79 percent increase in attitude and 4.51 percent increase in practice score), though statistical significance could not be established. Favourable effect of IEC programme on haemoglobin levels of the experimental group was evident as the proportion of subjects having normal haemoglobin levels increased significantly from 0 to 27.08 percent, moderate anaemia was decreased from 30.55 percent to 11.11 percent post IEC programme, while in control group no significant changes were observed.