نبذة مختصرة : Background: Iron deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional problem among children. Despite the implementation of various programs, this problem has not yet been resolved and its prevalence in Iranian children under six years old has been reported to be 18.2%. The present study aimed to investigate factors associated with iron drop consumption in children aged 6 to 24 months based on the health belief model. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 at health centers in Bushehr, Iran. A total of 298 mothers with children aged 6 to 24 months were selected for this study through simple random sampling method. Data were collected using general, specialized and health belief model questionnaires administered through interviews. The collected data were statistically analyzed in SPSS 21. Results: Among the 298 children studied, 67.8% were regularly taking iron supplements. The most commonly reported reasons for non-compliance were maternal forgetfulness (20.2%) and then child's refusal (18.4%). Also, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the child's age (P < 0.001, OR= 0.87) and perceived barriers (P = 0.004, OR=0.97) were inversely related to iron drop consumption. In contrast, maternal education (p = 0.047), awareness (P = 0.032, OR= 1.02), and performance (P < 0.001, OR=1.13) showed positive association with iron drop consumption. Conclusion: Approximately one-third of the children aged 6 to 24 months who visit health centers in Bushehr did not use iron drops regularly. Based on the results of this study and the health belief model, improving maternal awareness and reducing existing barriers should be a priority for health policymakers in order to improve adherence to iron supplementation in early childhood.
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