Interventional Study to Strengthen the Health Promoting Behaviours of Pregnant Women to Prevent Anaemia in Southern India

Background: A quasi-experiment aimed to evaluate the health-promoting behaviors of pregnant women to combat anemia in southern India.

Methods: The experiment employed a pretest-posttest control groups, the research assessed the efficacy of a health information package in empowering pregnant women to modify their health-care behaviors. The study included 225 anemic pregnant women from both rural and urban areas, divided into experimental and control groups. The intervention comprised a validated educational program supplemented with visual aids and iron supplementation. Meanwhile, the control group received only supplementation without additional advice beyond standard health personnel guidance. Drawn from the Rosenstock and Becker’s health belief model, the study evaluated outcomes such as knowledge of anemia, food selection abilities, hemoglobin levels, and compliance with iron supplementation.

Results: Results indicated significant improvements in knowledge and food selection abilities among participants who received the health information package. Moreover, there were notable increases in hemoglobin levels, underscoring the effectiveness of the intervention in combating anemia during pregnancy.

Conclusion: The study’s findings advocate for the enhancement of health promotion activities across various health sectors and communities to instigate positive changes in health-seeking behaviors among pregnant women. However, the research acknowledges limitations, including non-random subject selection, ethical constraints preventing a true control group, and the inability to withhold supplementation or incidental teaching.