Husband’s Information Support with Anemia Occurrences in Expectant Mothers

Teti Rahmawati

Abstract

Families are very influential in the formation of health behaviors for pregnant women, which have an impact on the emergence of various health problems including anemia in pregnancy. This health problem is influenced by various factors, however, it is not yet known the effect of information support given by the husband to the occurrence of anemia in his wife who is pregnant. This study aims to identify the relationship of information support given by husbands to the incidence of anemia in pregnant women. This descriptive analytic study used a cross sectional approach and was conducted on 60 pregnant women who were selected by purposive sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire about respondents' perceptions of knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of husband's information support related to anemia. The Hb test using a multicheck tool was conducted to obtain the respondent's Hb data. The results showed a significant relationship between husband's information support and the incidence of anemia in pregnant women (p value = 0.035). Pregnant women who received information support from their husbands were less than 4 times more likely to experience anemia than pregnant women who received information support from their husbands well (OR = 4). Policies are needed for early detection of anemia through Hb screening, promotive, pervasive, and curative actions by involving husbands, and further research related to information support for pregnant women using qualitative methods.