Limited knowledge about folic acid and iodine nutrition in pregnant women reflected in supplementation practices

Abstract

Mullan, J. (2014). Limited knowledge about folic acid and iodine nutrition in pregnant women reflected in supplementation practices. Nutrition and Dietetics, 71 (4),[236][237][238][239][240][241][242][243][244] Limited knowledge about folic acid and iodine nutrition in pregnant women reflected in supplementation practices AbstractAim In order to reduce the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) and iodine deficiency in pregnancy, the National Health and Medical Research Council recommends that pregnant women supplement their diet with folic acid and iodine. This study aimed to identify the knowledge, attitudes and practices of pregnant women regarding intake of these nutrients in order to assess whether women are adequately exposed to this health message. Methods One hundred and fifty-two conveniently sampled pregnant women residing in a regional area of New South Wales, Australia, completed a pretested questionnaire on knowledge and practices regarding nutritional supplement use during pregnancy and dietary sources of folic acid and iodine. Results Eighty-two per cent of women reported using supplements during their pregnancy, with the majority (67.7%) taking supplement brands containing both folic acid and iodine. Supplement use was significantly higher among women in the highest household income category (30.8 vs 69.2%; P = 0.001). Seventy-six per cent of the participants correctly identified NTDs to be associated with inadequate intake of folic acid, whereas only 40% correctly identified health problems associated with inadequate iodine intake. Women's knowledge of dietary sources of folic acid and iodine was limited. Conclusions A third of the pregnant women surveyed were not adhering to clinical recommendations for supplement use during pregnancy, and many had knowledge deficits with regard to the need for an adequate dietary intake of folic acid and iodine from both food and supplements during pregnancy. with folic acid and iodine. This study aimed to identify the knowledge, attitudes and practices of pregnant women regarding intake of these nutrients in order to assess whether women are adequately exposed to this health message.Methods: 152 conveniently sampled pregnant women residing in a regional area of New South Wales,Australia completed a pre-tested questionnaire on knowledge and practices regarding nutritional supplement use during pregnancy and dietary sources of folic acid and iodine Results: Eighty-two percent of women reported using supplements during their pregnancy; with the majority (67.7%) taking supplement brands containing both folic acid and iodine. Supplement use was significantly higher among women in the highest household income category (30.8% vs. 69.2%; p=0.001). Seventy-six percent of the participants correctly identified NTDs to be associated with inadequate intake of folic acid, whereas only 40% correctly identified health problems associated with inadequate iodine intake. Women's knowledge of dietary sources of folic acid and iodine was limited. Conclusion:A third of the pregnant w...

Exploring Australian women’s level of nutrition knowledge during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study

“…In Australia, the NHMRC recommends supplementation with folic acid and iodine during pregnancy 26. Consistent with other studies,29,30 most of the women (90%) in this study were aware of the need for folic acid supplementation, but less than half (48.3%) were aware of the recommendation for iodine supplementation. The recommendation for supplementing with iodine was only introduced in 2010 as opposed to 1992 for folic acid,44 which may explain the difference in awareness.…”

“…These included first language (English), planned pregnancy, and household income (>AU$50,000/yr). Other studies8,29 found that women with higher educational levels demonstrated the highest levels of “nutrition knowledge”, “knowledge about the consequences of folic acid deficiency” and “knowledge about the adverse health outcomes associated with low iodine intake” during pregnancy.…”

“…Little has been reported on Australian women’s knowledge of these guidelines and other food- and nutrition-related recommendations. The existing studies have focused on investigating either women’s awareness of specific single nutrients required during pregnancy29–31 or their knowledge of AGHE recommendations for adults in the general population 8. Women’s knowledge of food handling practices and weight gain during pregnancy has also been examined separately in the previous studies 32,33.…”

Dietary Iodine Intake of the Australian Population after Introduction of a Mandatory Iodine Fortification Programme

“…In Australia, low SES groups are less likely to comply with dietary guidelines compared with higher SES groups. Despite sparse information about dietary iodine intake in Australian pregnant women [18], low SES groups have been documented to be less likely to consume recommended iodine supplements during pregnancy as compared with higher SES groups [19], as reported in other countries [15,16,17,18]. Low SES groups are also less likely to comply with dietary guidelines when compared with higher SES groups [20] and have various barriers to healthy eating which affects nutrient intakes, including high costs [20], lack of priority for health [17], difficulties accessing healthy foods [21], and a lack of social support [22].…”

The first 1000 days: A critical period of nutritional opportunity and vulnerability

“…Consequently, routine supplementation in pregnancy of both of these nutrients is recommended 19 . However, adherence to these supplementation recommendations by pregnant women in Australia is far from universal, 20 and therefore, many pregnant women rely, at least in part, on dietary intake to meet their increased needs for these nutrients. In Australia, mandatory fortification of breads with iodine and folate was introduced in 2009 in an effort to increase population dietary intake of these nutrients 21 .…”