Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Abstract BACKGROUND: Mothers need the necessary skills to be empowered in successful breastfeeding.
This study aimed to investigate effectiveness of the distance education program on the mothers’
empowerment in exclusive breastfeeding.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized clinical trial study was done on 72 nulliparous pregnant
women 28–32 weeks with normal pregnancy. The qualified women were randomly assigned to the
intervention and control groups based on the random‑number table. The breastfeeding training
packages were sent to women in the intervention group via Telegram every week from 32 until
37 weeks of gestation. The mothers’ empowerment in breastfeeding (primary outcome) and the
exclusive breastfeeding rate (secondary outcome) were assessed by questionnaires.
RESULTS: Based on the repeated measured tests, although scores for all domains and also the
total score of the mothers’ empowerment in breastfeeding between two groups had increased
during the study period, there was a significant difference between the increasing trends of the
maternal empowerment domains in two groups (interaction P value ‹0.001). Also, the prevalence of
exclusive breastfeeding (secondary outcome) at 6 months was significantly higher in the intervention
group (81.8% and 57.1% in the intervention and control groups, respectively) (P = 0.028).
CONCLUSION: Distance education could increase all domains of the mothers’ empowerment in
breastfeeding after delivery. Also, exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months after delivery was significantly
higher in mothers who were receiving the distance education packages.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Obesity and iron deficiency (ID) are two forms of the most usual nutritional disorders
worldwide. Some studies have discovered a correlation between ID and obesity although more
investigation is required. This study was aimed to determine the association between obesity and
ID anemia (IDA) in Iranian childbearing age women.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross‑sectional study was done on 256 women of reproductive
age in northern Iran. The anthropometric measurements including height and weight were measured,
and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Low blood index of the hemoglobin (Hb), mean cell
volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were evaluated with ferritin, serum iron,
and total iron‑binding capacity. Baseline data were expressed as means ± standard deviations.
Chi‑square test was applied to compare the categorical variable. Differences between the two groups
were evaluated with independent samples t‑test. A value of P < 0.05 was considered as statistically
significant.
RESULTS: Obesity was in urban women higher than rural women (55.1% vs. 44.9%), and this
difference was significant (P < 0.021). There was found no association between hematological
characteristics and BMI. The data showed that only 13.4% of obese women and 17.1% of the women
with normal weight had IDA (odds ratio = 0.75; 95% confidence interval: 0.39–1.49, P > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of this study, it seems that the relationship between obesity
and IDA is controversial. Hence, further studies are needed to be done.