Conditioning factors for adherence to iron treatment in a cohort of children with anemia aged 4 to 36 months

Abstract

Objective. The purpose of this study was to identify the conditioning factors for adherence to iron treatment in children between 4 and 36 months of age, with iron-deficiency anemia. Methods. An observational and cross-sectional study was carried out. The sample population consisted of 97 children from 4 to 36 months of age, attending the health centers of Huánuco, Peru. A questionnaire of conditioning factors for adherence to iron treatment, the Morisky-Green and Levine test, and the assessment sheet for iron consumption and anemia were applied. The chi square test and the odds ratio (OR) were used with a p <0.05. Results. 91.8% (89) did not adhere to iron treatment. When analyzing the institutional, social, attitudinal and cognitive factors conditioning adherence to iron treatment, there was only significance in the institutional factor in its dimension “the health facility does not give timely appointments for the delivery of iron” and in the attitudinal factor in its dimensions: “it takes too long for the child to consume iron”, “frequent forgetting to give the child iron, stopped giving the iron treatment due to some negative experience”, “lack of time to go to the health facility to collect iron ”,“ interrupting iron consumption due to respiratory problems of the child ”. All of these were factors related to the non-adherence to iron treatment. Conclusions. The institutional factor and the attitudinal factor were the conditioning factors for non-adherence to iron treatment in the children under study.