Maternal Knowledge and Performance about Use of Iron and Multivitamin Supplements in Children in Northwest of Iran

Introduction Micronutrients deficiency, especially iron and vitamins, is a common nutritional problem among children under 2 years in Iran. The aim of the present study is to assess the awareness and performance of mothers about the use of iron and vitamin supplements in infants less than 2 years. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 762 mothers of 6-24 months infants referred to the Children’s Hospital of Tabriz in (Mar 2012-Mar 2013). They completed questionnaire. Data was collected through a three partite questionnaire and analyzed through interviews with mothers about the use of iron and multivitamin supplements. Data were analyzed by descriptive- analytic tests and using SPSS 11.5.   Findings: The results showed that the number of mothers with high, moderate, and low awareness was 115 (15.09%), 456 (59.84%), and 91 (25.06%), respectively. The number of mothers with good, moderate, and poor performance was 186 (24.4%), 379 (49.74%), and 197 (25.86%), respectively. There was a significant relationship between education level and the performance of mothers (P