Presentation Information
[FPoIQwB5-13]Effectiveness of an mHealth-Based Educational Intervention to Reduce Anemia in Pregnancy in Rural Bangladesh: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
*Taiyaba Tabassum Ananta1, Md Moshiur Rahman2, Md Jiaur Rahman2, Sanmei Chen2, Saori Kashima3, Miyuki Toda2, Mohammad Habibur Rahman Sarker4, Taslima Khatun5, Yoko Shimpuku2 (1. Global Health and Medical Science, Graduate School of Innovation and Practice for Smart Society, Hiroshima University (Japan), 2. Global Health Nursing, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Science, Hiroshima University (Japan), 3. Center for the Planetary Health and Innovation Science, The IDEC Institute, Hiroshima University (Japan), 4. Technical Training Unit, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research (Bangladesh), 5. Department of Community Nutrition, Faculty of Public Health, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, Dhaka (Bangladesh))
Keywords:
Pregnant women,Anemia,mHealth,Rural Bangladesh
Background: Anemia in pregnancy remains highly prevalent in low-resource settings, including rural Bangladesh, and contributes to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Mobile health (mHealth) services offer a feasible platform to deliver remote, low-cost health education and support for anemia prevention and management.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an mHealth-based educational intervention in reducing anemia by improving hemoglobin levels among pregnant women in rural Bangladesh.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial will be conducted in rural areas of Chandpur District, Bangladesh, from April to October 2026. Pregnant women will first undergo hemoglobin screening to identify anemia status. Women diagnosed with mild or moderate anemia according to World Health Organization criteria and with gestational age less than 14 weeks will be eligible for enrollment. A total of 132 participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to intervention and control groups using stratified block randomization. The control group will receive routine antenatal care. The intervention group will receive routine care plus a four-month structured mHealth-based education package consisting of regular mobile messages and phone calls, along with educational materials. Community health workers will provide health education on the importance of iron-rich diets, the appropriate use of iron-folic acid supplements, prevention of dietary inhibitors of iron absorption, basic maternal nutrition, hygiene practices, and the importance of regular antenatal check-ups. The primary outcome is the change in hemoglobin level will be measured at baseline and after four months, reflecting a reduction in anemia severity. Data will be analyzed using generalized estimating equations to evaluate the effect of the mHealth intervention on improvements in hemoglobin and reductions in anemia over time.
Conclusion: The intervention is expected to reduce the proportion of pregnant women with mild and moderate anemia after mHealth education. If this study demonstrates positive outcomes, the mHealth-based education model could be scaled and implemented across low-resource settings in Bangladesh and other developing countries.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an mHealth-based educational intervention in reducing anemia by improving hemoglobin levels among pregnant women in rural Bangladesh.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial will be conducted in rural areas of Chandpur District, Bangladesh, from April to October 2026. Pregnant women will first undergo hemoglobin screening to identify anemia status. Women diagnosed with mild or moderate anemia according to World Health Organization criteria and with gestational age less than 14 weeks will be eligible for enrollment. A total of 132 participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to intervention and control groups using stratified block randomization. The control group will receive routine antenatal care. The intervention group will receive routine care plus a four-month structured mHealth-based education package consisting of regular mobile messages and phone calls, along with educational materials. Community health workers will provide health education on the importance of iron-rich diets, the appropriate use of iron-folic acid supplements, prevention of dietary inhibitors of iron absorption, basic maternal nutrition, hygiene practices, and the importance of regular antenatal check-ups. The primary outcome is the change in hemoglobin level will be measured at baseline and after four months, reflecting a reduction in anemia severity. Data will be analyzed using generalized estimating equations to evaluate the effect of the mHealth intervention on improvements in hemoglobin and reductions in anemia over time.
Conclusion: The intervention is expected to reduce the proportion of pregnant women with mild and moderate anemia after mHealth education. If this study demonstrates positive outcomes, the mHealth-based education model could be scaled and implemented across low-resource settings in Bangladesh and other developing countries.
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