KNOWLEDGE, MATERNAL EXPERIENCE, AND ADHERENCE TO TREATMENT FOR IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS

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Abstract

Objective: To analyze the relationship between adherence to treatment for iron deficiency anemia in pediatric patients aged 6 to 24 months, based on maternal knowledge, at a health center in the district of Chao, La Libertad, Peru. Material and Method: Mixed research conducted in November 2024 with a sample of 136 mothers of children between 6 and 24 months of age. During the quantitative phase, two instruments were applied: the adapted Morisky-Green-Levine test and a questionnaire
on knowledge about anemia. Coliazzi's qualitative interpretative paradigm was used for the qualitative approach. Results: 54.4% (n=74) of mothers adhered to treatment, and
59.6% had an average level of knowledge. There was no statistically significant correlation between knowledge level and adherence (p=0.839, R=-0.018). Phenomenological analysis revealed that adherence is influenced by preconceptions, tradition, social validation, internalization, and acceptance of biomedical knowledge.
Conclusion: The balanced distribution between mothers who adhered to treatment and those who did not, together with the predominance of medium and high levels of knowledge, shows that effective health interventions require a combination of knowledge types, which are based on respect for the mother's own experience and the
innovative nature of biomedical knowledge.