Trial reportPloS one2015
Multivitamin and iron supplementation to prevent periconceptional anemia in rural tanzanian women: a randomized, controlled trial.
Trial report in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01183572 (Trial of Pre-Pregnancy Supplements), which is not on this map. Cited by 18 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Trial of Pre-Pregnancy Supplements
Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review of methodological approaches and measurement of adherence to micronutrient supplementation among women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- Role of preconception nutrition supplements in maternal anemia and intrauterine growth: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Daily oral iron supplementation during pregnancy.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Preconception and periconception interventions to prevent low birth weight, small for gestational age and preterm birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ global health · 2022Pooled it
- Multiple-micronutrient supplementation for women during pregnancy.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Daily iron supplementation for improving anaemia, iron status and health in menstruating women.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016Pooled it
- Effects and safety of periconceptional oral folate supplementation for preventing birth defects.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2015Pooled it
- Trial
- Community-based interventions addressing multiple forms of malnutrition among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.Nutrition journal · 2025Article
- An approach to Hemequity: Identifying the barriers and facilitators of iron deficiency reduction strategies in low- to middle-income countries.British journal of haematology · 2025Article
- A qualitative assessment of barriers to iron and folic acid supplementation among pregnant women in Botswana.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Compliance of Iron Supplementation and Determinants among Adolescent Girls: A Systematic Review.Iranian journal of public health · 2023Review
- Anaemia in women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries: progress towards the 2025 global nutrition target.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2022Article
- Barriers and facilitators of micronutrient supplementation among non-pregnant women of reproductive age in Johannesburg, South Africa.PLOS global public health · 2022Article
- Effects of preconception care and periconception interventions on maternal nutritional status and birth outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review.Campbell systematic reviews · 2021Review
- Trends and determinants of anaemia in women of Nepal: a multilevel analysis.Maternal & child nutrition · 2020Article
- Counselling and knowledge on iron and folic acid supplementation (IFAS) among pregnant women in Kiambu County, Kenya: a cross-sectional study.AAS open research · 2018Article
- Iron Supplementation Affects Hematologic Biomarker Concentrations and Pregnancy Outcomes among Iron-Deficient Tanzanian Women.The Journal of nutrition · 2016Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveWomen's nutritional status during conception and early pregnancy can influence maternal and infant outcomes. This study examined the efficacy of pre-pregnancy supplementation with iron and multivitamins to reduce the prevalence of anemia during the periconceptional period among rural Tanzanian women and adolescent girls.
designA double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted in which participants were individually randomized to receive daily oral supplements of folic acid alone, folic acid and iron, or folic acid, iron, and vitamins A, B-complex, C, and E at approximately single recommended dietary allowance (RDA) doses for six months.
settingRural Rufiji District, Tanzania. SUBJECTS: Non-pregnant women and adolescent girls aged 15-29 years (n = 802).
resultsThe study arms were comparable in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, food security, nutritional status, pregnancy history, and compliance with the regimen (p>0.05). In total, 561 participants (70%) completed the study and were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. Hemoglobin levels were not different across treatments (median: 11.1 g/dL, Q1-Q3: 10.0-12.4 g/dL, p = 0.65). However, compared with the folic acid arm (28%), there was a significant reduction in the risk of hypochromic microcytic anemia in the folic acid and iron arm (17%, RR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.42-0.90, p = 0.01) and the folic acid, iron, and multivitamin arm (19%, RR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.45-0.96, p = 0.03). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to adjust for potential selection bias due to loss to follow-up did not materially change these results. The effect of the regimens was not modified by frequency of household meat consumption, baseline underweight status, parity, breastfeeding status, or level of compliance (in all cases, p for interaction>0.2).
conclusionsDaily oral supplementation with iron and folic acid among women and adolescents prior to pregnancy reduces risk of anemia. The potential benefits of supplementation on the risk of periconceptional anemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes warrant investigation in larger studies.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01183572.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.