E-health Initiatives for Screening and Management of Anemia in Rural Rajasthan

Anemia is considered to be a public health issue of serious concern universally. In the current era of advancing technology, electronic health (e-health) initiatives are being employed in various health programs for disease screening and management. This study was planned to screen for anemia and manage it through a multidimensional approach comprising iron folic acid (IFA) supplementation, deworming among children, and dietary guidance and health education through pop-up videos with the aid of e-health initiatives.

This was a prospective cohort study. An Android e-application (app) was used on tablets to identify anemia after hemoglobin estimation through the Hemoglobin Color Scale. Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) managed anemia by providing health education and dietary guidance through pop-up videos and IFA supplementation. Statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29. Tests of significance in the form of Cochran's Q, McNemar, chi-square, and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent t-test were applied.

The overall prevalence of anemia significantly declined from 46.08% at baseline to 14.65% at the 9th month. Males had a higher anemia prevalence (52.8%) compared to females (39.16%). An overall improvement of 68.2% was observed in the anemia status, with the maximum being in the 1-5-year age-group and females. Mean hemoglobin levels showed a consistent increase across all age-groups, with the maximum being in the 6-month-1-year age-group and females.

This study demonstrated that community-based, sustained, and targeted strategies through the use of e-health initiatives can effectively combat anemia and achieve significant improvements in hemoglobin levels across all age and gender groups.