Related Experiment Videos
Folic acid intake of young women
1Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, NC 28603, USA. hiltonj@lrc.edu
Objective:
To investigate the folic acid intake of young women ages 18-24.
Design:
Nonexperimental, descriptive survey.
Setting:
Small private college in western North Carolina.
Participants:
A convenience sample of 42 female college students ages 18-24.
Main Outcome Measures:
Survey of demographics, folic acid intake, knowledge of folic acid, and pregnancy contemplation.
Results:
All participants were found to have an inadequate diet and an inadequate intake of folic acid. Only 33.3% reported taking daily multivitamins. These findings may be attributed to the participants' lack of knowledge about folic acid and the birth defects it helps to prevent.
Conclusion:
Inadequate folic acid intake is common in young women ages 18-24. These young women frequently have poor nutritional habits and are usually noncontemplators of pregnancy.