Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors with Unawareness of Folic Acid Benefits Prior to Pregnancy: Results From

Vrati M Mehra1, Ellen M Greenblatt2, Hala Tamim3

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, ON; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, ON.

Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada : JOGC = Journal D'Obstetrique Et Gynecologie Du Canada : JOGC
|September 29, 2024
PubMed

Recent national studies on awareness of folic acid (FA) prior to pregnancy among Canadian women are lacking. Using the 2017-2018 Canadian Community Health Survey, we aimed to estimate prevalence and risk factors associated with Canadian women who reported they were unaware of the benefits of FA supplementation before pregnancy. Prevalence of unawareness of FA was 22.1%. Lower education, lack of a health care provider, low household income, and an immigrant background were associated with greater odds of unawareness of the benefits of FA supplementation. Persistent associations with measures of social disadvantage and social determinants of health emphasize the need for new targeted public health campaigns.

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