Relationship Between Body Mass Index (BMI) and the Effectiveness of Iron Supplementation on the Incidence of Anemia in Adolescent Girls

Abstract

Introduction and Methods

Anemia in adolescent girls remains a global health issue, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting a global anemia prevalence of 29.9% among women of reproductive age. The management of adolescent anemia aligns with efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and the effect of iron (Fe) tablet supplementation on the incidence of anemia among adolescent girls in the working area of Atinggola Community Health Center (UPTD Puskesmas Atinggola). This was a quantitative study. The measurement of the BMI variable utilized an observational cross-sectional approach, whereas the evaluation of iron supplementation effectiveness employed a quasi-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest design. A total of 34 respondents were recruited using a total sampling technique. Data were analyzed using the Chi-Square test for the BMI variable and the Wilcoxon test for the iron supplementation variable.

Results

The Chi-Square test results showed a p-value of 0.526 (p > 0.05), indicating no significant relationship between BMI and the incidence of anemia. Conversely, the Wilcoxon test results revealed a significant improvement in hemoglobin levels following the iron supplementation intervention, with the mean score increasing from 11.62 at pretest to 12.78 at posttest (p < 0.001).

Conclusions and Recommendations

Body Mass Index has no association with the incidence of anemia among adolescent girls in the study area. However, the iron supplementation intervention proved to have a significant effect on improving anemia status. Therefore, iron supplementation programs at community health centers need to be continuously maintained and optimized in their implementation.