Associated factors and compliance with iron-folic acid therapy among pregnant women of Karachi, Pakistan

Objectives: Toassess the compliance with Iron Folic Acid (IFA) supplements and associated factors influencing their compliance among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at KVSS Site Hospital Karachi. Methods: This hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted on 290 pregnant mothers from October 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016 using Non-probability consecutive sampling technique. A structured pretested questionnaire was used to collect data. SPSS version 21.0 was used for data analysis. Results: Compliance with IFA supplements was found to be 63.1%. The age of the mother (AOR=1.955, CI = 1.086-3.521), Knowledge on causes of anemia (AOR= 2.815, CI= 1.669-4.749) and time of registration at ANC during the pregnancy (AOR= 1.815, CI= 1.047-3.146) were significantly associated with compliance to IFA supplements (p<0.05). Forgetfulness, actual of side effects and unpleasant taste were main reasons to non-compliance. Conclusions: Moderate level of compliance with IFA supplements was found whereas the age of the mother, knowledge of causes of anemia and time of ANC visits had important role in compliance with IFA supplements. Health education sessions on anemia in pregnancy and importance of supplements should be enhanced and encouraging for pregnant women during early ANC registration.