The Effect of an Iron Deficiency Anemia Prevention and Control Program in Children Aged 6 - 12 Months in Kong Ra District, Phatthalung Province.

Abstract

           This study aimed to examine the effects of an iron deficiency anemia care program in children aged 6-12 months by comparing caregivers' knowledge, child care behaviors, and children's hematocrit levels before and after program participation, as well as assessing satisfaction with the program. This was a quasi-experimental study using a one-group pretest-posttest design with a sample of 60 caregiver-child pairs aged 6-12 months who received services at sub-district health-promoting hospitals in the Kong Ra District health service network and Kong Ra Hospital, Phatthalung Province. The program consisted of four main components: group education for caregivers, use of an innovative media tool called the "Blood Building Clock Wheel," administration of iron supplementation syrup for 3 months, and weekly telephone follow-ups for 12 weeks. The research instruments included a 20-item knowledge test, a 15-item child care behavior assessment, hematocrit measurement, and a 10-item satisfaction evaluation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a paired t-test.

            The results showed that only 3.3% of children in the sample had anemia. Caregivers' knowledge increased significantly (p < 0.001) from a mean score of 11.2 to 17.6 points, representing an increase of 6.4 points. The proportion of caregivers with good knowledge levels increased from 13.3% to 80.0%. Child care behaviors improved significantly (p < 0.001), with mean scores rising from 3.2 to 4.3 points. The proportion of caregivers with excellent care behaviors increased from 8.3% to 63.3%. Children's hematocrit levels increased significantly (p < 0.001) from 36.6% to 38.2%. After program participation, no children were found to have anemia. Caregivers expressed high satisfaction with the program (mean score 4.1 ± 0.4), with 86.7% reporting high to very high levels of satisfaction.