Pil-Pintar Intervention Reduce Anemia among Young Teen Girls: A Pilot Study

Background: Iron deficiency anemia and low adherence to take iron tablets are prevalent issues among teenage school girls in Indonesia. To address this concern and encourage regular iron supplementation, the public health office of Sukoharjo Central Java Indonesia introduced a pil-pintar program, colloquially known as the “smart pill.” Aims: This study aimed to measure the increase in hemoglobin (Hb) levels and its correlation with nutrient intake related to Hb synthesis following the pil-pintar intervention. Methods: A quasi-experimental design with a one-group pre-posttest approach was performed involving 49 school teenage girls aged 12-15 years in a public school in Sukoharjo, Indonesia. Each student was given an iron sugar coat tablet containing 182 mg of ferrous-fumarate (equivalent to 60 mg elemental iron) and 0.400 mg of folic acid per tablet, called pil-pintar, once a week for 12 weeks. Results: A decrease in anemia prevalence by 24.4% and a notable increase in Hb levels by 1.0 mg/dL (p = 0.001) were observed in the 12 weeks of intervention. However, the study found no association between the nutrient intakes related to Hb production and the resulting Hb levels. Conclusion: The pil-pintar program effectively improved the hemoglobin levels of anemic teenage girls in the Sukoharjo district, Indonesia.