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Awareness of the role of folic acid, dietary folate intake and plasma folate concentration in Japan
Author(s) -
Kondo Atsuo,
Kamihira Osamu,
Shimosuka Yoichi,
Okai Ikuyo,
Gotoh Momokazu,
Ozawa Hideo
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1447-0756
pISSN - 1341-8076
DOI - 10.1111/j.1341-8076.2005.00265.x
Subject(s) - medicine , folic acid , dietary reference intake , allowance (engineering) , neural tube defect , folic acid supplementation , neural tube , pregnancy , physiology , obstetrics , environmental health , pediatrics , fetus , mechanical engineering , embryo , chemistry , organic chemistry , biology , nutrient , engineering , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology
Aim: To investigate awareness of the role of folic acid in the prevention of neural tube defects, dietary intake of folate, and plasma folate concentration. Methods: Postal questionnaires were collected from 1190 lay female subjects in three different groups and from seven groups of 3067 health‐care providers. Dietary folate was investigated by assessing food frequency charts that were kept for 3 days by 245 women, and plasma folate was assessed by analyzing the blood serum of 194 women. Results: Less than 15% of citizens and mothers who had live births knew that there was a link between folic acid and neural tube defects. The exception was with myelodysplastic families, in which awareness was 92%. Awareness among health‐care professionals was generally low. The highest level was found in obstetricians–gynecologists (76%) and the lowest in nurses (12%). Dietary folate intake and plasma concentration were highest in pregnant women (356 µg/day and 11.9 ng/mL) and the lowest in student nurses (217 µg/day and 6.8 ng/mL). When the recommended dietary allowance of folate in Japan is taken into consideration, 22% of the non‐pregnant women and 71% of the pregnant women did not fulfill the recommended dietary allowance. Conclusions: Information on the role of periconceptional intake of folic acid is not sufficiently disseminated to young women and health‐care professionals alike. Pregnant women should be repeatedly recommended to take folic acid supplements of 400 µg/day.