Introduction: Young reproductive age is the preparatory period for the physical development of the future mothers. According to International Center for research on women, adolescent girls are having haemoglobin level <12gm/dl. Non pharmacological methods of anemia treatment is safe, cost effective, and avoid undesirable side effects.

Objectives: To determine the Haemoglobin level among Nursing students before nutrition supplement, After 25 days of nutrition supplement, To determine the difference in Haemoglobin level before and after administration of nutrition supplement ,To find an association between pre-determined Haemoglobin level with selected sociodemographic variables.

Methods: Pre experimental, one group pre test post test design was used in this study. 35nursing students were selected using purposive sampling technique. The study was conducted for the period of 6 weeks at College of Nursing, Puducherry. The information required for the study was obtained from the participants after getting an assent and a written consent from the students, and parents, respectively. Deworming was done one day before nutrition supplement. The inclusion criteria was those residing in nurses hostel, with mild anemia and willing to participate in the study. The intervention was 100 ml of the nutrition supplement prepared with beetroot, jaggery, and lemon, administered for 25 days before lunch. The effectiveness of nutrition supplement was assessed based on the haemoglobin levels estimated on the day before the intervention and 26th day after the nutrition supplement using photometry method.

Results: The study findings revealed that the median difference in hemoglobin level was 0.5gm/dl and this difference was observed to be highly statistically significant (p value < 0.001).

Conclusion: There was a highly statistically significant increase in hemoglobin level after the nutrition supplement for 25 days among those with mild anemia. The study has proved that nutrition supplement with beetroot, jaggery, and lemon was very effective in improving the haemoglobin level of nursing students with mild anaemia.

 

Keywords: Beetroot, Nutrition supplement, Jaggery, Haemoglobin, Mild anemia