Socioeconomic and familial characteristics influence caretakers' adherence to the periodic vitamin A capsule supplementation program in Central Java, Indonesia.

The adherence of program participants to periodic vitamin A capsule (VAC) supplementation among children aged 1-5 years (n = 677) in Central Java, Indonesia was assessed. Fourteen villages from five sub-districts and one ward from one sub-district in Central Java were included in the study to represent rural and suburban areas. All questions about demographic factors, socioeconomic conditions, current dietary practice and healthcare-seeking attitudes for common childhood illnesses, previous breastfeeding experience, their knowledge about vitamin A and adherence to the VAC program after capsule distribution (two periods in 2000) were asked. Caretakers with limited knowledge about the health benefits of vitamin A, households with more than one preschool child, and households with older children (> 36 months) were associated with a decreased likelihood of regular participation in the program with odds ratios of 0.38, 0.55, and 0.26, respectively (p < 0.01). The percentage of caretakers who utilized community health centers, village health posts or midwives' practices in rural areas, was significantly higher (86.6 per cent, p < 0.001) than in suburban areas (62.8 per cent). Living in a rural location was associated with an increased adherence to participate in the program regularly with an odds ratio of 2.02 (p < 0.01). In conclusion, nutritional education and periodic social marketing should be re-emphasized and other potential delivery channels, such as private healthcare practices, could also contribute to an increase adherence of supplementation program.