Original scientific paper

Is level of knowledge, attitude and use of folic acid among pregnant women in Croatia a call for public health action?

KSENIJA VITALE ; »A. Štampar« School of Public Health, Medical School University of Zagreb, Rockefeller street 4, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
AIDA MUJKIĆ ; »A. Štampar« School of Public Health, Medical School University of Zagreb, Rockefeller street 4, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
GORAN TODOROVIĆ ; Medical Health Center Velika, V. Nazora 4, 34330 Velika, Croatia
THEODORE H. TULCHINSKY ; The Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Medical School, Hebrew University, Hadassah Ein Karem, 97220 Jerusalem, Israel

Abstract

Aim: Knowledge, attitudes and practices of Croatian women regarding
use of folic acid (FA) before and during pregnancy are assessed. Croatia has no current official recommendations for folic acid use for women who are planning pregnancy or are already pregnant, and there is no fortification of staple foods with FA.

Methods. Sample consisted of women who delivered at the Clinical
Hospital Center Petrova, and a County hospital in Po`ega, They were interviewed by trained medical technician or nurse about their knowledge, believes and use of FA. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression and the χ2 test. Also we searched the market for availability of food supplements containing FA.

Results: Among 603 women, 432 (71.7%) planned the current pregnancy, 306 (50.7%) did not take any vitamin supplement; 170 (28.2%) took some multivitamin supplements, and only 127 (21.1%) took FA supplements. Of those who have taken supplements, 58 (19.5%) decided to take FA on their own, 64 (21.5%) based on recommendations from a physician and several mentioned other sources (nurse, pharmacists, family member or media). In total 287 (47.6%) did not know what FA is. Logistic regression analysis showed that planned pregnancy is the strongest positive predictor for taking FA, while smoking and number of pregnancies are negative predictors.

Conclusion. Awareness of FA role and its requirements before and during pregnancy is low among interviewed women. Better education for, both, women and health care professionals, as well as need for fortification of some staple food are recognized as important public health priorities in Croatia.

Keywords

Folic acid; Prevention of neural tube defects; Health education; Survey, Croatia

Hrčak ID:

43411

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/43411

Publication date:

15.9.2009.

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