The Effect of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements in Reducing Anemia in Women of Reproductive Age

Women in developing countries are often at risk of micronutrient deficiencies due to inadequate micronutrient intake. Since various micronutrient deficiencies co-exist, multiple micronutrient supplements are recommended to combat their deficiencies. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of multiple micronutrient supplements among women of reproductive age in reducing anemia compared with iron-folic acid as currently practiced in Ethiopia. The current study is a community-based individual randomized placebo-controlled trial. The trial is double blinded with three parallel groups. This trial will be conducted in three randomly selected kebeles (villages) in the Kebribeyah district in the Somali regional state. The sample size determined for this study is 305. There will be two intervention arms and one control arm in this trial. A third of participants will be in each arms. The intervention arms will will be supplemented with United Nations International Multiple Micronutrient Antenatal Preparation-Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (UNIMMAP-MMS) or iron-folic acid (IFA) and the control arm with placebos twice a week. The investigators will follow the study participants for 17 weeks. The primary outcome is a change in mean hemoglobin concentrations and reduction in anemia prevalence. Stratified randomization will be used to assign the participants randomly to the study arms. In the current trial, the outcome assessors and study subjects will both be blinded. The supplements being administered to participants, as well as who is in the intervention group and who is in the control group, will be masked from the assessors. The trial participants will be blinded to the kind of supplements being administered to them or the group to which they were assigned. The allocation sequence of participants will be concealed from the researcher who will assign the participants to the study arms. When the eligible woman meets the screening criteria and gives informed consent, she will be assigned an envelope that contains an allocation sequence. As outcome measures, the investigators will assess the reduction in overall anemia and iron deficiency anemia attributable to the supplementation. In addition, a complete blood count (CBC) will be tested for all study participants.

Inclusion criteria

• Age range of 18-49 years.
• Mildly anemic (Hb=11.0-11.9 g/dl) or moderately anemic (Hb=8.0-10.9 g/dl) woman
• Permanent residents (lived for at least six months in the enumeration area)

Exclusion criteria

• A woman whose age is below or above the age range 18-49 year
• A pregnant woman
• Severely ill and incapacitated woman
• Non-permanent resident in the enumeration area
• Severely anemic (Hb <8.0 g/dl) woman
• A woman with Hb ≥12 g/dl