Folic acid plays an essential role in the prevention of major birth defects, particularly neural tube defects (NTDs.) Designing and implementing a folic acid campaign to reach Florida’s widely diverse population and geography presents daunting challenges. Florida had 196,963 live births in 1999; 22.9% of these births were to black mothers, and 23.8% of these births were to Hispanic mothers. In Florida, 125 infants were born with an NTD during 1996, and rates for NTDs were higher among Hispanic mothers of Mexican ethnicity, according to data from the Florida Birth Defects Registry. A key element to the success of Florida’s folic acid campaign involved the close partnership of the March of Dimes Florida Chapter and the Florida Department of Health, in addition to partners in the academic, business, and health care sectors, all of whom make up the Florida Folic Acid Council. The presenter will describe campaign strategies, including media-based awareness campaigns, professional and consumer surveys, an educational web site, and educational materials used throughout the state. The presenter will also describe resources designed to educate health care practitioners about folic acid and demonstrate materials and tools designed for their use with diverse groups of clients. Finally, the presenter will describe the lessons learned from new consumer and provider survey results, which are being used to plan more effective campaign outreach efforts for 2001. These data have helped campaign organizers to target specific populations of women who have higher than average risks for NTDs. See www.folicacidnow.net
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to: 1. Describe key findings from consumer and provider survey data on the awareness and consumption of folic acid, and their impact on health education and promotion efforts in Florida 2. Articulate the components of the Folic Acid Campaign in Florida and lessons learned during the development of the campaign 3. Understand the unique partnerships that have improved education efforts and expanded the reach of the campaign
Keywords: Maternal and Child Health, Public/Private Partnerships
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: March of Dimes
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: employment