Folic Acid Supplementation Status Research Articles

Prevalence of folic acid supplement consumption before and during pregnancy, and its determinants among community health center referrals.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and determinants of folic acid supplementation among women referred to community health centers.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study conducted in 325 women referred to community health centers. The subjects were selected from 8 community health centers, using a stratified sampling technique. Data regarding demographics, socioeconomic status, obstetrics, folic acid supplementation status, and household food security status were obtained via questionnaires. The data was analyzed in SPSS v22.ResultsThe prevalence of folic acid supplementation both before and during pregnancy was 54.5%. The results of the study showed that folic acid supplementation had a significant positive association with education level (odds ratio [OR],0 .441; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.199–0.977; P<0.05), being employed (OR, 0.353; 95% CI, 0.148–0.840; P<0.05), and planned pregnancy (OR, 18.113; 95% CI, 7.371–44.51; P<0.001). However, other variables, including age, husband's age, husband's education and employment status, the number of prior pregnancies, economic satisfaction, and household food security, were nonsignificant factors affecting folic acid supplementation.ConclusionWomen with lower socioeconomic status are less likely to take folic acid supplements, and more effort should be made to increase their awareness of the importance of supplementation. Unplanned pregnancy is another strong risk factor for not supplementing with folic acid, and thus should be avoided.

Awareness, use and information sources of folic acid supplementation to prevent neural tube defects in pregnant Japanese women.

Folic acid supplementation and folate-rich diets are recommended for women of childbearing age worldwide to prevent congenital anomalies. We aimed to determine the current status of folic acid supplementation among pregnant Japanese women and identify means to increase the intake of these supplements. Cross-sectional study. A total of 1862 pregnant women who consulted the perinatal centre from September 2014 to December 2015 completed a questionnaire concerning knowledge about folic acid, sources of information and the use of folic acid supplements. Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health (Japan). In our study population, only 20·5 % of pregnant women took folic acid supplements periconceptionally even though 70·4 % knew about the protective effect of folic acid. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that age ≥35 years (OR=2·80; 95 % CI 1·24, 6·29) and knowledge of the benefits of folic acid (OR=2·64; 95 % CI 1·92, 3·62) were associated with periconceptional folic acid use, and multiparity was negatively associated with such use. Compared with those who took folic acid supplements periconceptionally, women who did not take supplements received information through passive and less interactive media. Although folic acid awareness was relatively high among pregnant Japanese women, folic acid supplementation before conception was insufficient. To increase the intake of folic acid supplements in countries in which foods are not fortified with folic acid, an effective public health approach promoting behavioural change is necessary for women of reproductive age.

Current status of folic acid supplementation in women at child-bearing age in suburban area of Beijing

Objective: To access the current status of folic acid supplementation in women at childbearing age in suburban area of Beijing, 2016. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 722 women aged 17-41 years from six hospitals in suburban areas of Beijing were selected through cluster sampling. A questionnaire survey was conducted. Results: The rates of folic acid intake and regular folic acid intake among women under survey were 63.9% (456/714) and 83.3% (380/456). In women who remembered the duration of folic acid supplementation, the overall rate of preconceptional folic acid supplementation was 35.5% (159/450), in whom 27.3% (123/450) began to take folic acid 0-3 months before pregnancy; 8.0% (36/450) began to take folic acid 3 months before pregnancy. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that household registering type, preparation for pregnancy or pregnancy, parity, smoking and alcohol use were the influencing factors for folic acid supplementation. Conclusions: The rate of folic acid supplementation remained low in childbearing aged women in suburban area of Beijing. It is necessary to further strengthen the health education about the importance of folic acid supplementation to improve the intake rate and the regular intake rate of folic acid in pregnant women and to promote maternal infant health and reduce the related complications.

Investigation on folic acid supplementation status among Chinese women in the first trimester of pregnancy

To investigate folic acid (FA) supplementation status among Chinese rural reproductive women in their early pregnancy, and to provide evidence for the evaluation of FA supplementation project from national basic public health services. The data on intake status of FA supplementation from "National Free Preconception Health Examination Project (NFPHEP)" database between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012 was used and analyzed.A total of 902 270 women who achieved follow-up during early pregnancy from 220 pilot counties of 31 provinces were recruited. From 2010 to 2012, the rate of FA intake among women recuited were 73.58% (134 131/182 289), 75.88% (329 288/433 970) and 76.53% (218 896/286 011), respectively, which increased year by year (χtrend(2)=13 371.8, P<0.001). Among 682 315 women who took FA, 350 738(51.40%) women began to take FA 3 months before amenorrhea; 130 683 (19.15%) women began to take FA 1-2 months before amenorrhea, and 200 894 (29.44%) began to take FA after amenorrhea.Among 682 315 women who took FA, 645 310 (94.58%) women took it regularly, and 342 418 (50.18%) women took FA in a standardized way. The status of FA intake among Chinese rural women in the first trimester of pregnancy was good, and 75.62% (682 315/902 270) of them took FA.It is also important for basic public health services to improve the rate of FA intake and increase the rate of taking FA in a standardized way in Chinese rural pregnant women.

Current Status of Folic Acid Supplementation on Colorectal Cancer Prevention

Folate and its synthetic form, folic acid, play an important role in one-carbon transfer reactions involved in DNA synthesis and methylation, aberrations of which contribute to the development of colorectal cancer. Indeed, a portfolio of epidemiologic evidence suggests an inverse association between folate status and colorectal cancer risk. However, animal studies and clinical trials collectively suggest a dual modulatory effect of folic acid supplementation on colorectal cancer risk depending on the stage of cell transformation at the time of intervention. Folic acid supplementation may prevent neoplastic initiation in the colorectum but it may promote the progression of established precancerous lesions. Concerns have been raised over whether or not the significantly increased intake and blood levels of folate resulting from folic acid fortification and prevalent supplemental folic acid use would increase the incidence and mortality of cancer in North America. Recent epidemiologic studies, however, have reported a decreasing trend of colorectal cancer incidence post-fortification in the USA and have not demonstrated a colorectal cancer-promoting effect of folic acid supplementation. Nevertheless, the effect of the dramatically increased folate status in North America on cancer incidence and mortality requires continued careful monitoring, given serious pubic health ramifications. At present, based on the lack of compelling supportive evidence and on the potential tumor-promoting effect, folic acid supplementation should not be recommended as a chemopreventive measure against colorectal cancer or any other cancers. Whether or not folic acid supplementation can prevent the development of colorectal cancer remains a highly controversial and complex topic at present.

Folic acid supplementation, dietary folate intake and risk of preterm birth in China.

Folic acid supplementation has been suggested to reduce the risk of preterm birth. However, results from previous epidemiologic studies have been inconclusive. We investigated the hypothesis that folic acid supplementation and dietary folate intake during pre- and post-conception reduces the risk of preterm birth. We analyzed data from a birth cohort study conducted between 2010 and 2012 in Lanzhou, China, including 10,179 pregnant women with live singleton births. Compared to non-users, folic acid supplement users with >12-week duration had a reduced risk of preterm birth (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.55-0.83) with a significant dose-response relationship (P for trend=0.01). A similar pattern was observed for spontaneous preterm birth. Stronger associations were seen for ever use of folic acid supplement and very preterm birth (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.36-0.69) and spontaneous very preterm birth (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.29-0.63). Dietary folate intake during preconception and pregnancy were also associated with reduced risk of preterm birth (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.56-0.83, OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.47-0.70 for the highest quartiles, respectively), particularly for spontaneous very preterm (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.24-0.72, OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.15-0.47 for the highest quartiles, respectively). There were also decreased risks of preterm birth observed per 10-µg increase in dietary folate intake, and similar associations were found after stratification by folic acid supplementation status. Our results suggest that folic acid supplementation and higher dietary folate intake during preconception and pregnancy reduces the risk of preterm birth, and the protective effect varies by preterm subtypes.