261912 Folic acid promotion and monitoring in a pregnant and parenting program

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Suzanne Haydu, MPH, RD , California Department of Public Health, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division, Sacramento, CA
Flojaune Griffin, PhD, MPH , Institute for Health and Aging, University of California, San Francisco, Sacramento, CA
Sangi Rajbhandari, MPH , Institute for Health and Aging, University of California, San Francisco, Sacramento, CA
Jennifer Troyan, MPH , Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division, California Department of Public Health, Sacramento, CA
Background: To reduce the risk for neural tube birth defects, women of reproductive age should consume at least 400µg of folic acid daily. Adolescence is an important time to encourage folic acid intake because, overwhelmingly, pregnancies during this time are unplanned. Additionally, habits established during adolescence may continue throughout the lifecourse. According to the 2010 California Maternal and Infant Health Assessment, fewer adolescents (23.9%, 95%CI 17.5-30.2) between 15-19 years of age with a recent live birth consumed a folic acid supplement daily before the pregnancy than the 33.9% (95%CI 31.9-36.0) of women between 20-44 years of age. Using Title V funding, the California Adolescent Family Life Program (AFLP) addresses the consequences of adolescent pregnancy by providing comprehensive case management to pregnant and parenting teens, including nutrition guidance. This serves as an excellent contact point for interconception counseling regarding folic acid consumption. Methods: To engage pregnant and parenting teens, web-based folic acid guidelines were developed for the AFLP case management intervention. These new guidelines promoted folic acid as important for beauty and overall health without an emphasis on reproduction. Complementary preconception social marketing materials were used to target non-pregnant teens in California. Results: The new Guidelines have been incorporated into all 37 AFLP programs that serve over 8,000 clients annually. AFLP will continue to trend adolescent folic acid consumption. Conclusion: States should use Title V funds to incorporate folic acid interventions into existing programs to meet the needs of adolescents. Folic acid use among teens should be regularly monitored.

Learning Areas:
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the differences in folic acid consumption between adolescents (ages 15-19) and adult women (20-44) who experience a live birth in California. 2. Discuss the need for unique approaches to promote folic acid consumption among adolescents. 3. Explain how Title V funding can be used to incorporate folic acid interventions into existing programs to meet the needs of adolescents.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Reproductive Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the coordinator for nutrition, including folic acid with the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division of the California Department of Public Health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.