Anemia in adolescent girls is still a problem in Indonesia. The impact of anemia is quite significant for adolescent health. This study aims to analyze related factors of anemia among adolescent girls, and the effect of anemia on the quality of life. The study was conducted in the Soreang District, West Java, Indonesia. This cross-sectional study involved 286 female students (15–19 years). A 24-h recall questionnaire was used to collect the nutrient intake. We use the WHOQOL-BREF to analyze the quality of life. The study assessed height, weight, body mass index (BMI), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and a capillary blood sample to determine hemoglobin levels. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression tests were measured to find the factors most influencing anemia. The prevalence of anemia was 14.3%. Related factors of anemia in this study were: duration of blood show per menses, iron consumption, weight, height, and MUAC. From bivariate analyses, anemia influenced the social relationships domain with p < 0.05. Multivariate logistic regression showed that the most influencing factors for anemia were MUAC and duration of blood per menses. Anemia impacted the social relationships domain. In this study, the two main factors that affected anemia were MUAC and duration of blood each menstrual cycle.
23 August 2022 in International Journal of Women's Health
Background: Iron deficiency anemia is a common problem among adolescent girls and women, with significant consequences on personal health. One of the causes of iron deficiency anemia is inadequate nutritional intake. This study explores iron-deficiency anemia and associated factors among adolescent girls and women in a rural area of Jatinangor, Indonesia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 95 adolescent girls and 85 women between April and November 2018. Cluster random sampling was used to select the participants from seven villages in the Jatinangor district. After obtaining informed consent, we collected sociodemographic data, menstrual histories, and related data, including nutritional intake using 24-hour dietary recall. Anthropometrics were gathered to determine the body mass Index (BMI), and venous blood samples were analyzed for complete blood count and hemoglobin levels. Descriptive statistics followed by bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify anemia-associated factors. Results: The prevalence of iron deficiency anemia among the girls was 21.1% and 9.4% among women, with an average hemoglobin level in adolescents of 10.75 g/dL (± 0.79) and in adults 11.20 g/dL (± 0.61), whereas MCV was 74.49± 8.22 fL in adolescents and 7.61± 8.62 fL in adults. The majority of our samples were not stunted in growth and were also within a normal weight range. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that protein intake (OR=0.25; 95% CI 0.11– 0.58) was a positively associated factor with anemia. Conclusion: The prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia in this study represents a mild public health problem in the study sample. Based on the hemoglobin level, anemia, can be classified as moderate in adolescents and mild in adults. Low levels of MCH indicate iron-deficiency anemia. Sufficient protein intake did not prevent anemia due to macronutrient and micronutrient intake.
Female students, as adolescent girls, are more at risk of anemia because of high nutritional requirements. Health education through mobile applications influences the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of anemia in adolescent girls. Based on our previous study, several adolescents experienced anemia. This study aims to analyze the effect of health education through mobile applications, namely the WANTER application, on increasing KAP. This study was quasi-experimental with a pretest–posttest design; the sample was divided into an intervention (WANTER application) and a control group (booklet). The study was conducted in a rural area of Indonesia. There were 162 adolescent girls included in the intervention group and as many as 115 adolescent girls in the control group. Our study showed that adolescents’ knowledge and attitude increased significantly in three months after the intervention of WANTER and booklets toward preventing anemia with p < 0.001; however, there was no significant difference in KAP between the control and intervention groups. In addition, there was no improvement in practice, either in the control or intervention groups. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices to prevent anemia need to be continuously improved. Health education through appropriate media for adolescents is very important to make interventions more effective.
Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in adolescent girls is a problem that has not been resolved. This study aimed to explore the critical aspects of an integrated health care system model for preventing IDA in adolescent girls in a rural area of Indonesia. This qualitative research employed a grounded theory approach in order to build a substantive theory. This study used in-depth interviews with adolescents, parents, teachers, health workers, and persons in charge of adolescent programs at the health office, education office, and ministry of religion. Purposive sampling was performed until data saturation was achieved. Codes, categories, and themes were generated through thematic data analysis to develop a substantive theory. Data analysis was performed using MAXQDA 2022 software. A total of 41 people participated in this study. This investigation generated twenty-two categories and seven themes. These themes relate to policymaker commitments, stakeholder governance, quality, adolescents’ lifestyles, adolescents’ self-factors, adolescents’ access to health services, and social support. The themes identified become fundamental aspects of the integrated health care system model for preventing IDA in adolescent girls. The model of the integrated health care system consists of several essential points, which include awareness and efforts from policymakers and adolescent girls, supported by parents, teachers, and the community.
An inadequate nutrient intake correlates with malnutrition, a problem affecting many adolescents worldwide. Nutrient intake is associated with quality of life (QoL). Our study analyzed the relationship between nutrient intake and adolescents’ QoL. We conducted a cross-sectional study. Through simple random sampling, 157 adolescent girls were selected. Nutrition status was assessed using anthropometric measurements. Nutrient intake was collected using the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). WHOQOL BREF was used to explore adolescent girls’ quality of life. The median of nutrient intake: energy (908.25 kcal); protein (24.16 g); carbohydrate (128.89 g); fat (21.89 g); vitamin A (77.10 mg); vitamin E (1.40 mg); vitamin B1 (0.19 mg); vitamin B2 (0.29 mg); vitamin B6 (0.45 mg); folic acid (35.13 mg); vitamin C (12.60 mg); calcium (197.46 mg); magnesium (93.72 mg); iron (2.64 mg); and zinc (2.09 mg). The adolescents’ QoL scores were physical health 44 (25–81), psychological domain 56 (19–94), social relationships 56 (19–94), and environmental domain 56 (31–100). The strongest correlations were between (1) physical health with carbohydrates, vitamin C, and fat; (2) psychological domain with calcium; (3) social relationships with carbohydrates and vitamin C; and (4) environmental domain with BMI and zinc. There was a significant positive correlation between the intake of some nutrients and adolescents’ QoL, despite the observation of some significant negative correlations. The findings of this study indicate that more attention should be focused on adolescents’ nutrient intake in order to improve their QoL.
1 January 2025 in Advances in Medical Education and Practice
Background: Reproductive health issues remain a serious concern, especially for university students. The problem occurs due to a lack of knowledge about three primary threats to adolescent reproductive health, namely, sexuality, HIV / AIDS, and drug abuse, which will affect the attitudes and practices that university students will adopt related to reproductive health. This study aims to analyze the effect of reproductive health education through videos and e-leaflets on improving students’ reproductive health knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The hypothesis for this study was to explore the differences in knowledge, attitudes, and practices before and after the intervention. Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental design. Purposive sampling was used to select participants from four universities in the Jatinangor District. 166 female first-year university students were divided into the study group through video (n = 83) and the control group through e-leaflet (n = 83). A structured questionnaire assessed reproductive health knowledge, attitude, and behavior before and after the intervention. SPSS version 27.0 was used to analyze the data. Results: This study showed that university students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practice increased significantly after the intervention (p< 0.001). The comparison results between the intervention group and the control group did not show a significant difference in knowledge improvement (p> 0.001); however, they showed differences in attitude and behavior improvement (p< 0.001). Conclusion: Reproductive health education through video and e-leaflets is equally effective in improving first-year students’ knowledge, attitude, and practice. University support is necessary for reproductive health education among students.