Publications

The study sought to assess adherence levels to Folic Acid and Iron supplementation amongexpectant women attending antenatal care at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital. Findingsrevealed a 58.8% adherence rate among pregnant mothers. Among adherents, the majoritywere younger than 30, Christians, rural residents, cohabiting, had primary education, andwere homemakers. Notably, only a minority were experiencing their first pregnancy.Regarding awareness and advice, a significant percentage knew about the preventive benefitsof Iron-folic acid supplements against anemia, had received advice on supplementationbenefits and the necessity of not missing doses. However, awareness about the specificbenefits, dosage, and sources of folic acid and iron was limited. While most attended earlyANC visits, only a fraction knew about folic acid benefits and sources, the correct dosage, orfoods containing folic acid. Additionally, just over half met the recommended ANC visitfrequency. Factors influencing adherence were largely tied to demographics such as age,religion, residence, partnership status, education, and employment, alongside knowledgegaps about supplementation benefits and dosages. Conversely, behaviors like alcohol intake,late or infrequent ANC attendance, and negative experiences during ANC acted as barriers toadherence.Keywords: Pregnancy, Anaemia, Antenatal Care, Folic acid, Iron supplementation