The effect of Nutrition Education on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice among Iron-Deficient Female Adolescents in Aizawl, Mizoram

Abstract:

Nutritional anaemia continues to be a major public health concern among adolescent girls, particularly in developing countries, because of increased nutritional requirements during adolescence and insufficient dietary intake. Inadequate nutritional knowledge, negative view towards healthy eating, and poor dietary practices are major factors contributing to this condition. The present study sought to assess the effectiveness of nutrition education on the Knowledge, Attitude, Practice (KAP), and Health Seeking Behaviour (HSB) of anaemic adolescent girls. A total of 71 female adolescents aged 15–19 years were chosen from the baseline survey, and a KAP questionnaire was administered to all participants. The anaemic girls were randomly divided into control and intervention groups. The intervention group received a nutrition education module and was followed for three months, while the control group received no intervention. The nutrition education programme included lectures, presentations, interactive discussions, pamphlets, and video recordings in the local language concentrating on iron deficiency anaemia and strategies for its prevention and improvement. The programme was carried out for three months. The KAP and overall scores before and after the intervention were evaluated through the application of Mann–Whitney U test. The results showed that the knowledge scores were significantly higher in the intervention group (Md = 9, n = 37) compared to the control group (Md = 9, n = 34), with U = 375.500, Z = -3.036, and p = .002, indicating a medium effect size (d = .36). Similarly, attitude scores were significantly greater in the intervention group (Md = 8, n = 37) than in the control group (Md = 7, n = 34), with U = 308.000, Z = -3.811, and p = .001, showing a moderate effect size (d = .45). Practice scores were also greater in the intervention group; however, the difference was not statistically significant (U = 484.500, Z = -1.770, p = .077, d = .21). Similarly no significant difference was found in Health Seeking Behaviour (HSB) scores between the control and intervention groups. Nevertheless, the nutrition education module was effective in producing meaningful changes in cognitive and behavioural aspects that are more responsive to educational interventions, particularly in enhancing knowledge, improving attitudes, and encouraging the initial adoption of healthy practices.