Bharati Kulkarni|Parul Christian|Steven C. LeClerq|Subarna K. Khatry
Determinants of compliance to antenatal micronutrient supplementation and women’s perceptions of supplement use in rural Nepal
National Institute of Nutrition|Johns Hopkins University|Johns Hopkins University
examined factors affecting compliance antenatal micronutrient supplementation womens perceptions supplement userandomized controlled supplementation trial four alternative combinations micronutrients given pregnancy 3 months postpartum women visited twice weekly monitor compliance replenish tablets female study workers 6 weeks postpartum women live births n 4096 interviewed regarding perceptions supplement median compliance calculated percentage total eligible doses received women high 84 rural southern nepalpregnant womenwomen high compliance median 84 likely older less educated poorer undernourished belong lower caste pahadi hill ethnicity compared women low compliance median 84 smoking drinking alcohol past week pregnancy strongly associated low compliance major reason irregular intake forgetting take supplements higher proportion high compliers liked taking supplements half willing purchase future large proportion women 91 perceived benefit taking supplement improved strength health whereas 10 perceived sideeffects major barrier compliancethe present analysis highlights poor undernourished uneducated women high compliance antenatal supplementation supplied tablets reminded take regularly counselled sideeffects