Strengthening Household Survey Measures of Maternal Micronutrient Supplementation: Learnings from Ethiopia and Bangladesh

Multiple countries, including Ethiopia and Bangladesh, are considering replacing iron folic acid (IFA) with United Nations International Multiple Micronutrient Antenatal Preparation (UNIMMAP) multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) during Antenatal Care (ANC) to reduce low birth weight (LBW), preterm, and micronutrient deficiencies.

Population-based household surveys can provide essential data on coverage of iron-containing supplements during pregnancy. However, Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) style questions do not accurately measure the number of pills consumed across pregnancy (adherence) and do not differentiate between IFA and MMS. There is a need to improve question design to increase respondent comprehension, facilitate more accurate adherence recall, and distinguish between prenatal micronutrient supplements. DataDENT carried out formative research in Ethiopia and Bangladesh to design, test, and refine household survey questions and visual aids to measure coverage of maternal micronutrient supplements during pregnancy.