Assessment of Knowledge and Feeding Performance of Caregivers Regarding Iron Deficiency Anaemia Among Children Aged
Background: Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is the most common nutritional deficiency among children under five years globally. Caregiver knowledge and feeding practices are critical modifiable determinants of childhood IDA, yet data from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq remain limited. Objectives: To assess caregiver knowledge and feeding performance regarding IDA and examine their association with children's haematological parameters. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 180 caregiver–child pairs (children aged 12–59 months with moderate IDA) at Rapareen Paediatric Teaching Hospital, Erbil, from February to June 2025. Caregiver knowledge and feeding performance were assessed using purpose-developed, internally validated instruments. Haemoglobin, serum ferritin, and serum iron were measured. Spearman's correlation was used to assess associations. Results: Poor caregiver knowledge (71.1%, n = 128) and poor feeding performance (71.7%, n = 129) predominated, with mean scores of 11.81±2.80 and 5.71±5.49, respectively. Only 0.6% (n = 1) of caregivers demonstrated good knowledge, and none achieved good feeding performance. Significant IDA risk factors included family history of anaemia (27.8%), intestinal parasitic infections (26.7%), recurrent diarrhoea (24.4%), and pica (24.4%) (all p<0.001). No statistically significant correlations were found between caregiver knowledge or feeding performance and haematological parameters (all p>0.05 after Bonferroni correction). One unadjusted association between feeding performance and serum iron in the nutritional education subgroup (ρ = −0.254, p = 0.049) did not survive multiple-comparison correction and is considered exploratory. Conclusions: Caregiver knowledge and feeding performance regarding IDA are critically inadequate. Structured, skill-based nutritional education programmes should be integrated into routine paediatric care to improve feeding practices and reduce IDA burden.