Table 12.
Matrix—Periconceptional iron folic acid supplementation
| Study | Study design | Intervention | Duration | Dosage | Moderators of delivery | Setting | Timing of intervention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agarwal 2003 | RCT | Daily and weekly supplements of iron‐folic acid | 115 days and at 230 ± 5 days | 100 mg iron and 500 µg folate daily and weekly | Government schools. North‐East Delhi, India | Preconception | |
| Ahmed et al. (2001) | RCT | Supplements of placebo; vitamin A; iron‐folic acid; or iron + folic acid + vitamin A weekly | 12 weeks | 2.42 mg vitamin A (retinol) as retinyl palmitate, 120 mg elemental ferrous sulphate, and 3.5 mg folic acid | Field staff | Garment factories. Dhaka City, Bangladesh | Preconception |
| Februhartanty 2002 | RCT (with a nonrandomised third arm) | Weekly supplements of iron‐folic acid; iron‐folic acid supplements for four days during menstruation | 16 weeks | 60 mg elemental iron and 0.25 mg folic acid in the form of 200 mg ferrous sulphate | Teachers | Schools. Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia | Preconception |
| Hall et al. (2002) | RCT | Weekly supplements of iron‐folic acid | 10 weeks | 65 mg of iron and 0.25 mg of folic acid | Teachers | Schools. Kolondieba district, Mali | Preconception |
| Kanani 2000 | Quasi randomised study | Daily supplements iron‐folic acid | 3 months | 60 mg elemental iron and 0.5 mg folic acid per day | Community. Vadodora, India | Preconception | |
| Gilgen (2001) | RCT | Weekly supplements of iron‐folic acid | 24 weeks | 200 mg ferrous fumarate and 200 mg folic acid | Community (tea estate). Bangladesh | Preconception | |
| Muro et al. (1999) | RCT | Weekly iron‐folic acid supplementation; weekly iron folic acid supplementation along with communication session. | 8 weeks | 65 mg iron sulphate and 0.25 mg folic acid | Teachers | Schools. Dar‐es‐Salaam, Tanzania | Preconception |
| Shah and Gupta (2002) | RCT | Weekly versus daily iron‐folic acid supplementation. | 90–100 days for once daily; 14 weeks for weekly | 350 mg ferrous sulphate and 1.5 mg folic acid combination |
Group A‐ Parents. Group B‐ Investigator. |
School. Dharan, Nepal | Preconception |
| Shobha and Sharada (2003) | RCT | Daily or twice weekly iron + folic acid supplementation regimen | 84 days (i.e., 12 weeks). | 60 mg iron and 0.5 mg folic acid | Investigator | School. Ranga Reddy district, India | Preconception |
| Soekarjo et al. (2004) | RCT | Weekly supplements of vitamin A; iron and folate; vitamin A, iron and folate | 14 weeks | 10 000 IU vitamin A and 60 mg elemental iron plus 250 mg folate | Field workers | Schools and homes. Bangkalan and Sampang district, Indonesia | Preconception |