Multivitamins, folic acid and neural tube defects: Knowledge, beliefs and behaviors of Latinas in North Carolina

Purpose: To examine current beliefs, knowledge and behaviors of foreign born Latina women in North Carolina in regards to multivitamins, folic acid and birth defects. Methods: Between January and March of 2006 a 39-question quantitative interview was administered face-to-face to approximately 1,000 Latina women, ages 18 – 35 in 12 North Carolina counties. The women were selected using a quasi-random approach. A total of 896 interviews were eligible for data analysis. Analysis methods included frequencies, chi-square tests, and logistic regressions. Results: Thirty-three percent of Latinas take multivitamins at least five days a week. However, of those Latinas thinking about becoming pregnant, only 22% take a multivitamin at least five days a week. Knowledge about multivitamins and folic acid increases with more years living in the U.S. (both p < .05). Foreign-born Latinas from countries other than Mexico are more likely to take multivitamins at least five days per week (p < .05). Respondents were almost two times as likely to have ‘…seen, read, or heard something about birth defects' if they had completed middle school or higher and twice as likely if they had lived in the United States between five and 10 years (all p<.05). Conclusions: North Carolina data parallels national survey data highlighting the lack of knowledge and vitamin-taking behaviors Latinas have compared to other racial/ethnic groups., North Carolina has implemented a culturally appropriate, multi-faceted campaign in six intervention and six comparison counties to increase the use of multivitamins to reduce the number of neural tube defect-affected pregnancies.