1.Knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) towards anaemia among female university students in Malaysia: A cross-sectional survey
Cheryl Huong ; Jing Lin Chua ; Rui Yi Ng ; Dhanashri Kshitij Panse ; Snigdha Misra ; Afshan Sumera
Malaysian Journal of Nutrition 2022;28(No.2):203-215
Introduction: Anaemia is a common health problem in Malaysia, most common
being iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude,
practices (KAP), and health-seeking behaviour (HSB) towards anaemia among
undergraduate female students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted
among 180 female university students from a medical university in Malaysia. Data
were collected using an online questionnaire comprising KAP and HSB. SPSS
version 25.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Most participants (60%) had
an appropriate level of knowledge about anaemia. A positive attitude was shown
with adequate awareness of anaemia. A total of 55.5% of participants reported
having good health practices. However, 52.9% of the participants consumed less
iron-rich foods and 81.7% reported skipping meals. The overall observed healthseeking behaviour was good. A statistically significant relationship was found
between knowledge with attitude (p=0.003) and practice (p=0.005). This study
observed that the study population had poor nutritional status, long menstrual
duration, and vegetarianism. Moreover, infrequent consumption of vitamin C-rich
fruits and low iron-folate supplementation were also observed. Conclusion: A good
level of knowledge on IDA among students was noted. However, most of the students
showed a lack of positive attitude and good practices towards preventing anaemia.
University students are prone to IDA due to a lack of KAP, which can significantly
affect health-seeking behaviour. This issue should not be neglected; therefore,
implementing intervention programmes to educate students on the preventive
measures against the risk factors of IDA is recommended.