1.Knowledge, attitude and practice towards dietary iron among patients with thalassemia and their caregivers in Peninsular Malaysia
Chin Dict Man ; Siti Fatimah Kader Maideen ; Abdul Rashid
The Medical Journal of Malaysia 2019;74(5):365-371
Introduction: Thalassemias are the most common human
monogenic disorders in the world. Regular blood
transfusion and increased intestinal absorption of iron
among thalassemia patients will lead to iron overload, which
will not only markedly decrease their life expectancy but
also pose a heavy burden to the healthcare system. The
objective of this study was to evaluate the level of
knowledge, attitude and practice towards dietary iron among
thalassemia patients and their caregivers.
Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study using
purposive sampling method was conducted at eight
thalassemia societies in Peninsular Malaysia. 260
respondents comprised of patients and caregivers were
assessed with two separate sets of questionnaires.
Results: Knowledge on dietary iron among the respondents
was unsatisfactory, despite them having good knowledge on
thalassemia disorder. Female patients were found to have
better dietary knowledge, attitude and practice compared to
males. The percentage of caregivers with good attitude and
good practice were significantly higher compared to adult
patients. Caregivers with children on iron chelators were
noted to have better dietary attitude and practice.
Thalassemia knowledge and children on vitamins were
found to be the predictors of dietary knowledge among the
patients and caregivers respectively.
Conclusion: The level of knowledge on dietary iron among
the patients and caregivers was unsatisfactory in spite of
their attitude and practice towards dietary iron were good.
Effective delivery of dietary information to the patients and
caregivers is essential to enable them to choose a healthy
diet for their condition.