A Collaborative Effort to Reduce Ntd's: Indiana's Statewide Folic Acid Awareness Caimpaign

Abstract

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) is sponsoring a Folic Acid Awareness Campaign. The goal of this collaborative campaign (Children's Special Health Care Services, Maternal and Child Health Services, and WIC) is to decrease the incidence of neural tube defects using a statewide educational campaign promoting adequate folic acid consumption preconception and during the first trimester of pregnancy. The target population for the campaign is all women of child bearing age. The campaign is comprised of three phases. Phase I (March 1998) involved a “Train the Trainer” Conference, Folic Acid: Eating for a Healthier Future, National experts trained 226 health professionals, with at least one representative from each of Indiana's 92 counties. All participants were given a test prior to, and at the conclusion of, the conference. Results of the matched tests indicated a significant increase in the participant's knowledge about neural tube defects, folic acid, and social marketing techniques (13.6 vs 18.9; p = 0.0002). Conference participants are using the educational packet to provide folic acid education to consumers and professionals within their counties. Phase II (October 1998) was a health fair held at the Indianapolis City Market. Volunteers dressed in fruit and vegetable costumes passed out pamphlets, bookmarks, fact sheets, jar openers, green ribbons, vitamins, orange juice and sunflower seed samples to consumers. Children with spina bifida distributed stickers. Phase III (1999) will be comprised of three stages: (1) Indiana will coordinate media efforts with the CDC's national campaign, (2) the campaign will be expanded to increase awareness of the additional benefits of folic acid, and (3) evaluation techniques will be used to assess the effectiveness of the campaign and determine if there has been a decrease in the incidence of neural tube defects in Indiana. This campaign will help dietitians plan and implement their own folic acid campaign.