Title:Pil-Pintar Intervention Reduce Anemia among Young Teen Girls: A Pilot
Study
Volume: 20
Issue: 8
Author(s): M. Muwakhidah, Setyaningrum Rahmawaty*, Luluk Ria Rakhma, Endang Nur Widiyaningsih, Listyani Hidayati and Shofianabila Rusdanurmaala
Affiliation:
- Department of Nutrition Science, Faculty of Health Science, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta. Jl. A. Yani Tromol
Pos 1 Pabelan Surakarta, Indonesia
Keywords:
Adolescents, hemoglobin, iron, school, supplementation, nutritional intake.
Abstract:
Background: Iron deficiency anemia and low adherence to take iron tablets are prevalent
issues among teenage school girls in Indonesia. To address this concern and encourage regular
iron supplementation, the public health office of Sukoharjo Central Java Indonesia introduced a
pil-pintar program, colloquially known as the “smart pill.”
Aims: This study aimed to measure the increase in hemoglobin (Hb) levels and its correlation with
nutrient intake related to Hb synthesis following the pil-pintar intervention.
Methods: A quasi-experimental design with a one-group pre-posttest approach was performed involving
49 school teenage girls aged 12-15 years in a public school in Sukoharjo, Indonesia. Each
student was given an iron sugar coat tablet containing 182 mg of ferrous-fumarate (equivalent to
60 mg elemental iron) and 0.400 mg of folic acid per tablet, called pil-pintar, once a week for 12
weeks.
Results: A decrease in anemia prevalence by 24.4% and a notable increase in Hb levels by 1.0
mg/dL (p = 0.001) were observed in the 12 weeks of intervention. However, the study found no association
between the nutrient intakes related to Hb production and the resulting Hb levels.
Conclusion: The pil-pintar program effectively improved the hemoglobin levels of anemic teenage
girls in the Sukoharjo district, Indonesia.
