Capacitating Frontline Workers and Teachers to Improve Anemia among Adolescents in India: A Pre–poststudy

Background: Anemia is a significant public health challenge among women and adolescent girls in India. Among various system-level barriers, inadequate knowledge and poor communication skills of the health workers are significant contributors. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of structured training programs in improving the knowledge of frontline workers and school teachers on anemia awareness, including identification, prevention, and management. Methods: A pre–post qualitative study was conducted in two blocks of the Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh. The trainings were conducted with 160 frontline health workers and 18 school teachers using prevalidated and vetted modules. The pre- and posttests were conducted to assess the change in knowledge and awareness before and after the training using the questionnaire, respectively. The difference in the mean knowledge scores was compared using paired t -tests, and the responses to individual questions were compared using Chi-square tests. Results: A statistically significant improvement was observed in the posttest knowledge scores of frontline workers and school teachers. The mean (standard deviation) knowledge scores of the frontline workers increased from 9.4 (3.0) to 10.4 (3.1) ( P < 0.001), while among school teachers, the scores improved from 6.5 (2.0) to 8.7 (1.6) ( P < 0.001). Conclusions: The results highlight the effectiveness of short-term and structured training programs in improving knowledge among frontline workers and school teachers. The study suggests the need to organize refresher trainings along with digital learning tools to strengthen knowledge retention and program implementation.