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Effects of text message intervention on infant growth and anemia at 6 and 12 months old
Author(s) -
Lai Jianqiang,
Duan Yifan,
Jia Weijun,
Jiang Shan,
Pang Xuehong,
Bi Ye,
Wang Jie,
Yin Shian,
Yang Zhenyu
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.670.1
Subject(s) - medicine , anemia , overweight , pediatrics , intervention (counseling) , obesity , hemoglobin , physical therapy , nursing
Objectives To investigate the effects of delivering feeding knowledge using cell phone text message on infant growth and anemia at 6 and 12 months. Methods A community‐based intervention study was conducted in four community health centers in Baotou, China, one of which was the intervention community and the other three were the control communities. Pregnant women were recruited from perinatal care center. In the intervention group, infant feeding knowledge was sent to the subjects by the health workers using text messages. Meanwhile, no intervention was given in the control group. The growth status and anemia prevalence were assessed at 6 and 12 months in both groups. Results Totally 174 dyads of mothers and infants completed the study, of which 83 were in the intervention group and 91 were in the control group. After controlling for potential confounders, the length‐for‐age Z score (LAZ), head circumference‐for‐age Z score (HCZ) and hemoglobin content were significantly greater in the intervention group (0.71±1.3, 0.08±1.04, 12.4 ±0.9 g/dL respectively) than in the control group (0.32±1.82, −0.29±1.24, 11.8 ±1.1 g/dL, respectively) at 6 month old (all p<0.05). The prevalence of stunting (p< 0.01), overweight and obesity (p = 0.02), and anemia (p< 0.01) were significantly lower in the intervention group ( 0 vs 12.0%, 3.6% vs 13.3%, 10.8% vs 52.8%, respectively). At 12 months of age, LAZ was marginally significantly greater and the prevalence of anemia was significantly higher in the intervention group (0.73±1.11, 35.6%, respectively) than in the control group (0.43±1.24, 16.4% respectively). Conclusions Using cell phone text messages to deliver infant feeding knowledge may improve the growth and anemia status of infants aged 6 month. Further studies are warranted for scaling‐up. Support or Funding Information The Project Sponsored by the Young Scholar Scientific Research Foundation of China CDC.