Adherence to Iron Folic Acid Supplementation and Its Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Urban Health Training Centre (Uhtc) of Tertiary Health Care of South Gujarat: A Mixed Methods Study

Introduction: Anaemia during pregnancy is a significant public health issue affecting millions of women globally. According to NFHS-5, only 44% of mothers consumed IFA tablets for more than 100 days during their pregnancy, and 52.2% of pregnant women are anaemic. Aim and Objectives: To assess the impact of iron-folic acid (IFA) supplementation adherence on anaemia and identify factors influencing adherence or non-adherence. Materials and Methods: This mixed-method study involved 80 pregnant women attending antenatal services at an Urban Health Training Centre in South Gujarat from October to December 2023. Participants aged 18-40 years, in their second and third trimester,were prescribed IFA, and documented haemoglobin levels were included. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed with MS Excel 2021 and SPSS version 26. Fisher's Exact test was applied for associations.In-Depth Interviews (IDI) with 10 purposively selected participants (5 adhering,5 non-adhering) explored reasons for adherence. Results: The study of 80 pregnant women (mean age 23) found anaemia in 78.8%. Nonadherence to IFA was due to distance, side effects, and forgetfulness. IFA adherence (p = 0.004) and occupation (p = 0.025) were significantly associated with better anaemia outcomes. Conclusion: Adherence to IFA supplementation significantly improved anaemia outcomes,with occupation influencing results.Barriers to adherence included distance, side effects, and forgetfulness. Targeted interventions are needed to enhance adherence and reduce anaemia in pregnant women.