Approximately 50% of cases of spina bifida and other serious neural tube defects (NTDs) may be prevented by adequate periconceptional consumption of folic acid by all women capable of becoming pregnant. Because half of US pregnancies are unplanned or mistimed, optimal NTD prevention requires that women capable of pregnancy consume adequate folic acid daily. It is uncertain whether folic acid food fortification alone can protect all women, and only 33% of women report consuming folic acid supplements before pregnancy. Studying the reported barriers to consumption of a folic acid supplement may elucidate challenges and opportunities to encouraging behavior change for other preconceptional interventions. The analysis examines reported reasons women do not use multivitamin supplements by linear regression and analysis of variance of responses from 2885 women aged 18-45 years responding to the annual HealthStyles mail panel survey from 1996 through 1999. Forty-five percent of women reported they did not use a supplement. Among these women, 47% reported no encouragement from their health-care providers to take a daily multivitamin. However, 73% of all women reported they would follow a recommendation from their physician to take a multivitamin to prevent NTDs in future pregnancies, and 67% of women not currently taking a multivitamin reported they would follow such a recommendation. Physicians may miss opportunities to emphasize multivitamin use in preventing NTDs to all women capable of becoming pregnant, affecting women’s attitude toward vitamin supplementation and their willingness to engage in at least one important aspect of preconceptional care.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to: 1. Recognize the distribution of barriers to behavior change related to a communication intervention by health-care providers. 2. Discuss the relation between health-care provider recommendations and women patients of childbearing age regarding preconceptional health.
Keywords: Vitamins, Birth Defects
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.