Coverage of Vitamin A Supplementation among Under-Five Children in Hegarmanah Village, Jatinangor in August 2014

Abstract

Background: The vitamin A supplementation program conducted every February and August aims to reduce children morbidity and mortality. Mother’s knowledge on the importance of vitamin A is crucial to succeeding this program. This study aimed to examine the coverage of the program among under-five children and the mother’s knowledge about vitamin A supplementation in Hegarmanah Village, Jatinangor in August 2014. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study involving mothers of children aged 6−59 months in eight RWs in Hegarmanah Village. The mothers were interviewed to find out whether their children received vitamin A supplementation. Additional questionnaire-based data about mother’s knowledge on vitamin A was also collected. The subjects in this study were the mothers of 220 under-five children. Data collection was obtained by direct interviews with the mothers during their visit to the Puskesmas or during home visits to children who missed the Posyandu appointments. Results: Two hundred and fourteen (97.27%) children received vitamin A supplementation and only 6 (2.73%) did not. The questionnaires revealed that 94 children (96%) received vitamin A, while 4 (4%) did not. The mother’s level of knowledge in vitamin A was either poor (1%), moderate (37%), or good (62%). Conclusions: The coverage of vitamin A supplementation in Hegarmanah Village reaches 97.27% and the mother’s understanding about vitamin A is generally good. DOI: 10.15850/amj.v4n2.1079