Iron supplementation in children to prevent deficiency and anaemia: A qualitative synthesis
Background: Iron deficiency anaemia in young children is a major problem globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends preventive oral iron supplements to reduce the prevalence of iron deficiency and anaemia in high-prevalence sett...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4825 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849696696906285056 |
|---|---|
| author | Denny Mabetha Idriss I. Kallon Marianne Visser Celeste Naude Willem Odendaal Amanda S. Brand Sara Cooper |
| author_facet | Denny Mabetha Idriss I. Kallon Marianne Visser Celeste Naude Willem Odendaal Amanda S. Brand Sara Cooper |
| author_sort | Denny Mabetha |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Iron deficiency anaemia in young children is a major problem globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends preventive oral iron supplements to reduce the prevalence of iron deficiency and anaemia in high-prevalence settings.
Aim: To conduct a qualitative evidence synthesis exploring the factors influencing the acceptability, feasibility and equity of preventive oral iron supplementation in young children for the Global Evidence, Local Adaptation (GELA) project, which supports the development of evidence-informed, locally relevant guideline recommendations in three sub-Saharan countries.
Method: We searched MEDLINE, Epistemonikos, CINAHL and PsycInfo from inception to 07 July 2023 for eligible studies. We synthesised the data using thematic analysis and assessed the methodological quality of the studies (using an adaptation of the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool) and confidence in the review findings (using GRADE-CERQual).
Results: We included six studies, five from LMICs. Findings indicated knowledge and perceptions about iron supplementation, as well as relationships with intervention providers, can have a beneficial or detrimental influence on caregiver acceptance (moderate to high confidence); caregiver acceptance may be negatively affected by a lack of reliable information but can potentially be enhanced through community-based education (moderate confidence); healthcare workers’ knowledge, resources and support may improve the feasibility of intervention provision (moderate confidence) and socio-economic challenges around access to the intervention may adversely affect equity (low confidence).
Conclusion: A complex interplay of contextual factors may impact the provision and uptake of preventive oral iron supplementation in young children.
Contribution: This work provides insights into how preventative oral iron supplementation might be contextually tailored. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-039d57784e8a40e2a7e4874e80fe6feb |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2071-2928 2071-2936 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-039d57784e8a40e2a7e4874e80fe6feb2025-08-20T03:19:23ZengAOSISAfrican Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine2071-29282071-29362025-05-01171e1e1410.4102/phcfm.v17i1.48251254Iron supplementation in children to prevent deficiency and anaemia: A qualitative synthesisDenny Mabetha0Idriss I. Kallon1Marianne Visser2Celeste Naude3Willem Odendaal4Amanda S. Brand5Sara Cooper6MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; and Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape TownCentre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape TownCentre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape TownCentre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape TownHealth Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa; and Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape TownCentre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape TownCochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa; School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; and Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape TownBackground: Iron deficiency anaemia in young children is a major problem globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends preventive oral iron supplements to reduce the prevalence of iron deficiency and anaemia in high-prevalence settings. Aim: To conduct a qualitative evidence synthesis exploring the factors influencing the acceptability, feasibility and equity of preventive oral iron supplementation in young children for the Global Evidence, Local Adaptation (GELA) project, which supports the development of evidence-informed, locally relevant guideline recommendations in three sub-Saharan countries. Method: We searched MEDLINE, Epistemonikos, CINAHL and PsycInfo from inception to 07 July 2023 for eligible studies. We synthesised the data using thematic analysis and assessed the methodological quality of the studies (using an adaptation of the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool) and confidence in the review findings (using GRADE-CERQual). Results: We included six studies, five from LMICs. Findings indicated knowledge and perceptions about iron supplementation, as well as relationships with intervention providers, can have a beneficial or detrimental influence on caregiver acceptance (moderate to high confidence); caregiver acceptance may be negatively affected by a lack of reliable information but can potentially be enhanced through community-based education (moderate confidence); healthcare workers’ knowledge, resources and support may improve the feasibility of intervention provision (moderate confidence) and socio-economic challenges around access to the intervention may adversely affect equity (low confidence). Conclusion: A complex interplay of contextual factors may impact the provision and uptake of preventive oral iron supplementation in young children. Contribution: This work provides insights into how preventative oral iron supplementation might be contextually tailored.https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4825acceptabilityanaemiachildrenequityfeasibilitylow and middle-income countriesiron-deficiency anaemiaqualitative evidence synthesis |
| spellingShingle | Denny Mabetha Idriss I. Kallon Marianne Visser Celeste Naude Willem Odendaal Amanda S. Brand Sara Cooper Iron supplementation in children to prevent deficiency and anaemia: A qualitative synthesis African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine acceptability anaemia children equity feasibility low and middle-income countries iron-deficiency anaemia qualitative evidence synthesis |
| title | Iron supplementation in children to prevent deficiency and anaemia: A qualitative synthesis |
| title_full | Iron supplementation in children to prevent deficiency and anaemia: A qualitative synthesis |
| title_fullStr | Iron supplementation in children to prevent deficiency and anaemia: A qualitative synthesis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Iron supplementation in children to prevent deficiency and anaemia: A qualitative synthesis |
| title_short | Iron supplementation in children to prevent deficiency and anaemia: A qualitative synthesis |
| title_sort | iron supplementation in children to prevent deficiency and anaemia a qualitative synthesis |
| topic | acceptability anaemia children equity feasibility low and middle-income countries iron-deficiency anaemia qualitative evidence synthesis |
| url | https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4825 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dennymabetha ironsupplementationinchildrentopreventdeficiencyandanaemiaaqualitativesynthesis AT idrissikallon ironsupplementationinchildrentopreventdeficiencyandanaemiaaqualitativesynthesis AT mariannevisser ironsupplementationinchildrentopreventdeficiencyandanaemiaaqualitativesynthesis AT celestenaude ironsupplementationinchildrentopreventdeficiencyandanaemiaaqualitativesynthesis AT willemodendaal ironsupplementationinchildrentopreventdeficiencyandanaemiaaqualitativesynthesis AT amandasbrand ironsupplementationinchildrentopreventdeficiencyandanaemiaaqualitativesynthesis AT saracooper ironsupplementationinchildrentopreventdeficiencyandanaemiaaqualitativesynthesis |