Int J Cur Res Rev | Vol 13 • Issue 06 • March 2021 27 Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Study Among Rural Antenatal Women Regarding Anaemia, Iron Rich Diet and Iron Supplement Archana Dhok 1 , Ajay Meshram 2 , Lata Kanyal Butola 3 , Ruchir Khare 4 1 Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Sawangi, Wardha, Maharashtra, India; 2 Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Sawangi, Wardha, Maharashtra, India; 3 Tutor, Department of Biochemistry, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Sawangi, Wardha, Maharashtra, India; 4 Ruchir Khare Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, GMC Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. Corresponding Author: Dr. Archana Dhok, Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Sawangi, Wardha, Maharashtra, India. Email: drarchanadhok@gmail.com ISSN: 2231-2196 (Print) ISSN: 0975-5241 (Online) Received: 08.09.2020 Revised: 04.11.2020 Accepted: 10.12.2020 Published: 20.03.2021 INTRODUCTION During Pregnancy maternal nutrition and lifestyle signifi- cantly influence the health of mother and child. Maternal nutrition during conception and pregnancy influences the growth and development of the fetus and results in a healthy baby. It is usually assumed that a balanced diet is necessary for all human beings for the proper function of the body sys- tem. This indicates that nutrition is a fundamental pillar for human beings, for the health and proper development of the human being. 1 It is believed that during pregnancy, it is nec- essary to have a properly balanced diet to make sure suffi- cient energy intake without the utilization of the mother’s tis- sues for adequate growth of the fetus to maintain pregnancy. 2 Iron demand is higher in Pregnancy due to physiological changes for the development and growth of the placenta and fetus. Despite increased iron requirements, pregnancy is a period of increased risk of anaemia, which is higher than that of a non-pregnant state. 3-5 According to WHO, the definition of anaemia is “a condition in which the number of red blood cells (RBCs) or their oxygen-carrying capacity is inadequate to meet the physiologic demands in the body, in which the haemoglobin level may vary by age, sex, altitude, smoking, and pregnancy status”. Anaemia in pregnancy is identified by the WHO as haemoglobin (Hb) level less than 11g/dl and is divided into three levels in terms of severity; Mild anaemia (Hb level, 9 -10.9g/dl), Moderate anaemia (Hb level, 7-8.9g/ dl), and Severe anaemia (Hb level 7-4.5 g/dl). 6 Research Article International Journal of Current Research and Review DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.31782/IJCRR.2021.13617 IJCRR Section: Healthcare ISI Impact Factor (2019-20): 1.628 IC Value (2019): 90.81 SJIF (2020) = 7.893 Copyright@IJCRR ABSTRACT Introduction: Anaemia is one of the most common nutritional deficiency disorders affecting pregnant women; During pregnancy, the need for iron for mother and fetus gradually increases and will reach its highest level at the end of pregnancy. There should be awareness of anaemia among antenatal women and association of knowledge, attitude and practice of nutrition during pregnancy and taking iron-rich food. Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding iron-rich diet and iron supplement to prevent anaemia in pregnancy in women of the rural region. Methods: The present study comprised 100 Second Trimester Pregnant Women. Pregnant women in the second trimester at- tending Gynecology and Obstetrics OPD of AVBRH, Sawangi Wardha. Data was gathered by using a structured and pretested questionnaire which asked questions on nutrition in pregnancy, anaemia and associated factors. It has three parts: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices. Results: The knowledge level of subjects was significantly correlated with their Haemoglobin levels. There was a significant positive correlation between the Attitude scores of subjects and Haemoglobin levels.No significant positive correlation was found between Practice Scores of Subjects and Haemoglobin levels. Conclusion: Present study concludes that the studied pregnant women had good knowledge and positive attitudes but poor practice toward prevention and the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia. To address the issue of anaemia, the health service sector needs to incorporate health promotion strategies that will positively impact the attitude and practice levels of the popula- tion. Key Words: Pregnancy, Anaemia, Nutrition, Haemoglobin level