Jurnal Kesehatan Ibu dan Anak Vol. No. 1, pp. : 10. 29238/kia. ISSN: 2599-3224 (Onlin. ISSN: 2302-6014 (Prin. Anemia prevention attitudes and behavior as determinants of anemia status in deaf adolescent girls Aflah Raudhotul Zannah1. Heru Subaris Kasjono2. Ana Kurniyati3. Sujiyatini Sujiyatini4 1Midwifery Departemen. Poltekkes Kemenkes Yogyakarta. Indonesia, rzaflahh21@gmail. 2Environmental Health Departemen. Poltekkes Kemenkes Yogyakarta. Indonesia kherusubaris@gmail. 3Midwifery Departemen. Poltekkes Kemenkes Yogyakarta. Indonesia, ana. calystra@gmail. 4Midwifery Departemen. Poltekkes Kemenkes Yogyakarta. Indonesia, sujiyatini@yahoo. ARTICLE INFO Article history: Received: Nov 28th, 2023 Revised : July 17th, 2025 Accepted: July 20th, 2025 Keyword: Iron deficiency anemia. Health behavior. Special needs education. Menstrual health. Nutritional awareness. ABSTRACT Anemia remains a major nutritional problem among adolescents, especially girls, due to physiological changes and inadequate dietary intake. Deaf adolescents are particularly vulnerable due to limited access to health information, yet few studies have examined the role of attitude and behavior in this population. This study was to determine the relationship between attitudes and behaviors toward anemia prevention and anemia status among deaf adolescent girls. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at Public Special Needs School 1 Bantul. Yogyakarta. Indonesia involving 28 deaf adolescent girls aged 10Ae19 years using total sampling. Data were collected through validated questionnaires assessing attitudes and behaviors toward anemia (CronbachAos : 0. 746 and 0. Hemoglobin levels were measured using the EasyTouch GCHb device. Data were analyzed using Spearman Rho correlation with a significance level of p < A strong positive correlation was found between attitudes and anemia status . = 0. 681, p = 0. and between behavior and anemia status . = 0. 708, p = 0. Most anemic participants had poor behavioral scores and came from low-income families. Additionally, all anemic participants had begun menstruating, suggesting physiological and socioeconomic risk factors. Attitudes and behaviors are significantly associated with anemia status among deaf adolescent girls. Despite having positive attitudes, environmental and socioeconomic barriers may hinder healthy behavior implementation. Tailored and accessible health education, alongside cross-sectoral interventions, is needed to reduce anemia prevalence in adolescents with disabilities. This is an open access article under the CCAeBY-SA license. Corresponding Author: Heru Subaris Kajono Poltekkes Kemenkes Yogyakarta Jl. Tata Bumi No. Banyuraden. Kec. Gamping. Kabupaten Sleman. Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55293 Telepon: . 617601 Email: kherusubaris@gmail. http://e-journal. id/index. php/kia/ jurnalkia@poltekkesjogja. Jurnal Kesehatan Ibu dan Anak Vol. No. 1, pp. ISSN: 2599-3224 (Onlin. ISSN: 2302-6014 (Prin. INTRODUCTION Anemia is one of the world's nutritional problems. The increasing incidence of anemia is still the focus of public health problems today, especially iron deficiency anemia. Anemia that does not receive proper treatment can cause various health complications, such as fatigue, decreased cognitive function, decreased immune system, increased risk of bleeding both before and after giving birth, giving birth to children with low birth weight (LBW), as well as birth defects. Adolescents, especially adolescent girls, are a very vulnerable group due to increased iron requirements during growth and menstruation. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, the prevalence of anemia among adolescents worldwide ranges from 40-88% of a population of 1. 2 billion. The incidence of anemia among adolescent girls in developing countries is approximately 53. 7% of all adolescent girls. The adolescent population is estimated at 1. 2 billion, or 18% of the global population. Based on basic health research data (RISKESDAS), the prevalence of anemia in teenagers in Indonesia is 32%, meaning that out of 10 teenagers there are likely to be 3-4 teenagers suffering from anemia. Teenage girls are more at risk of developing anemia. RISKESDAS data for 2018 shows that the prevalence of anemia in adolescent girls aged 12-18 years has reached 23% with an increase of 11. 8% over the last 5 years. Where in 2013 it was 37. 1%, rising to 48. 9% in A survey on the incidence of anemia was also carried out by the DIY Health Service in 2018 with a target of 1500 young women in 5 districts and cities. The data results showed that as many as 19. 3% of young women in DIY experienced anemia (Hb below 12 g/d. Based on this survey, anemia prevalence data was obtained in each district, namely Kulon Progo Regency . 8%). Bantul Regency . 8%). Yogyakarta City . 2%). Sleman Regency . 4%). Gunungkidul Regency . 4%). Adolescents are at high risk of anemia due to increased iron requirements during periods of rapid growth and menstruation, combined with inadequate or inconsistent dietary . Among vulnerable groups, adolescents with special needsAiparticularly those with hearing impairmentsAimay face even greater challenges, as limited access to health information can reduce their awareness of proper nutrition. Deaf adolescent girls may be less exposed to educational resources regarding balanced diets and the importance of iron intake, placing them at increased risk for iron-deficiency anemia. Despite the Indonesian government's efforts to distribute weekly iron supplements (Fe tablet. through schools, adherence remains critically low. 4% of adolescent girls consume the recommended 52 tablets per year. The most cited reason is the perception that supplementation is unnecessary, which reflects a broader issue of inadequate knowledge, attitudes, and preventive behavior. Studies have shown that adolescents with poor understanding and attitudes toward anemia are over twice as likely to develop the condition. This underscores the importance of addressing both behavioral and informational barriers in anemia prevention strategies, particularly among adolescents with disabilities. While positive attitudes and health behaviorsAisuch as consuming iron-rich foods and adhering to iron supplementationAihave been consistently associated with reduced anemia prevalence among adolescents, recent international studies further emphasize their critical role. For instance, research from Bangladesh . linked irregular dietary habits with higher anemia rates, while an Indonesian study . highlighted strong associations between knowledge, attitudes, practices (KAP), and anemia status in adolescent . Web-based educational interventions have also been shown to improve adolescent awareness and attitudes toward anemia prevention. Despite these advances, there remains a significant research gap regarding adolescents with disabilitiesAiparticularly deaf adolescentsAiwho face unique communication barriers that limit access to nutritional education. Current literature predominantly focuses on the general adolescent population or broadly defined special needs groups, leaving the specific needs Zannah. Kasjono. Kurniati. Sujiyatini (Anemia prevention attitudes and behavior as determinants of anemia status in deaf. Jurnal Kesehatan Ibu dan Anak Vol. No. 1, pp. ISSN: 2599-3224 (Onlin. ISSN: 2302-6014 (Prin. and risks of deaf adolescents underexplored. Addressing this gap is essential to developing inclusive and effective anemia prevention strategies. Anemia prevention through education and behavior modification has been shown to be effective in the general population but has not been evaluated in adolescents with hearing impairments, who have distinct communication and educational needs. Therefore, this study recommends an approach that evaluates attitudes and behaviors toward anemia as the basis for inclusive and targeted interventions. METHOD This study employed an analytical observational design with a cross-sectional approach to investigate the relationship between attitudes and behavior towards anemia and the incidence of anemia among deaf adolescent girls. Data collection was conducted in March 2023 at Public Special Needs School 1 Bantul, a special needs school located in Yogyakarta. Indonesia. The population consisted of 28 deaf adolescent girls aged 10Ae19 years enrolled at Public Special Needs School (SLB Neger. 1 Bantul. The total sampling technique was applied, where all eligible individuals were included in the study. Inclusion criteria were deaf adolescent girls aged 10Ae19 years. Enrolled at Public Special Needs School 1 Bantul (SLB Negeri 1 Bantu. during the time of data collection. Able to understand and complete the questionnaire independently or with assistance. Willing to participate and provide informed consent. Exclusion criteria included: adolescents with acute illness at the time of data collection. known hematological disorders not related to nutritional anemia . , thalassemia, sickle cell anemi. Data were collected using two primary instruments: Sociodemographic Questionnaire, including age, class level, and menstruation history. Attitudes and Behavior Questionnaire related to anemia prevention, consisting of 10 items each. The questionnaire was adapted from the Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Anemia in Adolescent Girls and Women of Reproductive Age by the Ministry of Health. Republic of Indonesia . The instrument was pre-tested for validity and reliability on 21 deaf adolescent girls at Public Special Needs School 2 Bantul. The CronbachAos alpha coefficient was 0. 746 for the attitudes section and 0. 827 for the behavior section, indicating acceptable internal consistency. Hemoglobin levels were measured using a point-of-care test with the EasyTouch GCHb hemoglobin meter . odel and manufacturer to be specifie. , which provides quick results in grams per deciliter . /dL). Anemia was defined as hemoglobin <12 g/dL, in accordance with WHO standards for adolescent females. The procedure was conducted under standard precautions by trained Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26. Descriptive statistics . requencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation. were used to describe participant characteristics and variable distributions. The Spearman Rho test was performed to assess the association between attitudes/behavior and anemia status because the data were not normally distributed. A p-value < 0. 05 was considered statistically significant. This study received ethical approval from the Health Research Ethics Committee (KEPK) of Poltekkes Kemenkes Yogyakarta with reference number DP. 03/eKEPK. 1/065/2023, issued on February 9, 2023. All participants and/or their guardians signed informed consent forms prior to data collection. Zannah. Kasjono. Kurniati. Sujiyatini (Anemia prevention attitudes and behavior as determinants of anemia status in deaf. Jurnal Kesehatan Ibu dan Anak Vol. No. 1, pp. ISSN: 2599-3224 (Onlin. ISSN: 2302-6014 (Prin. RESULTS Characteristics and description of respondentAos anemia status below: Table 1. Distribution of characteristics and description of the incidence of anemia in Characteristic Variables Age Early Adolescents . -13 Year. Middle Adolescents . -16 Year. Late Adolescents . -19 Year. Adolescents Education Level 25. Menstrual Status Already Menstruating Not Menstruating Yet Total Anemic Status Yes Amount Based on Table 1, the results showed that the incidence rate of anemia was 32. %, where the characteristics of respondents who experienced anemia were generally early adolescents . 9%) with an education level