Assessment of knowledge, attitude and perceived practices on the importance of folate among Filipino women of child-bearing age in the Province of Batangas

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objectives:</strong> Folate is an essential nutrient associated with healthy pregnancy outcomes. Women of child-bearing age (WOCBA) are advised to maintain optimum blood folate status through adequate dietary folate intakes and folic acid from supplements. This study was aimed at assessing the level of knowledge, attitude, and perceived practice (KAP) among WOCBA on the importance of folate periconceptionally.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods:</strong> A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 184 healthy WOCBA in the Province of Batangas. The level of KAP was expressed as percent mean scores and were interpreted as poor, moderate, or high for knowledge and perceived practices and negative, neutral, or positive for attitude. Pearson's correlation of coefficient was used to measure the linear correlation between variables at a 95% level of significance.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Results:</strong> About 70% of respondents have heard of folate. The study showed a moderate level of knowledge, positive attitude, and moderate perceived practices related to folate among WOCBA. Age and civil status were associated with KAP. A significantly weak positive association (r=0.4, p<0.000) between the level of attitude and perceived practice related to folate was observed. Further, the level of knowledge showed significantly positive moderate association to attitude (r=0.7, p<0.000) and perceived practice (r=0.5, p<0.000).</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Increasing the level of knowledge on folate suggests a positive attitude and a higher level of perceived practice. The findings of the study suggest a need to increase knowledge on folate among WOCBA, especially, in younger women. Also, there is a need to emphasize the importance of adequate folate intakes from food and folic acid supplements, periconceptionally.</p>

Prevalence and factors associated with folate deficiency among Filipino women of child-bearing age

@#Introduction: Folate deficiency is associated with many complications of pregnancy. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the prevalence and factors associated with deficiency in red blood cell (RBC) folate among Filipino women of child-bearing age in the Province of Batangas, Philippines. Methods: A total of 184 Filipino women aged 15 to 49 years were interviewed on their socio-economic and demographic profiles. Mean energy and folate intakes were obtained using food recalls over a three-month period. RBC folate was used to measure long-term folate status and analysed through immuno-assay method. Results: About two in ten women were folate deficient based on the normal cut-off points (<400 ng/mL) preventive of neural tube defect-affected pregnancies. Respondents have very low intake of folate at 81 and 239 micrograms dietary folate equivalent (µg DFE) from dietary sources and with folic acid supplementation, respectively. Vegetable gardening and livestock raising (p<0.10) and use of folic-acid containing supplements showed significant correlations with folate status (p<0.05). Further, regression analysis showed that among the significant factors, the non-usage of folic acid-containing supplements showed increased likelihood of RBC folate deficiency by six times compared to users (OR=6.391, p<0.10). Conclusion: The findings of the study suggest a high prevalence of folate deficiency among Filipino women. Folate is an essential nutrient for healthy pregnancy. It is important that women, capable of bearing a child must assure adequate folate intake from foods and folic-acid containing supplements. The study recommends a more aggressive campaign on the importance of folate among women of child-bearing age.

Analysis of positive results of early screening of women of child-bearing age in six provinces(cities)in southern China / 国际检验医学杂志

Objective To investigate the regional distribution of positive results of early screening for women of child-bearing agein the six provinces of southern China(Guizhou,Guangxi,Yunnan,Sichuan, Chongqing and Hunan).Methods The screening of all were performed by red blood cell related parameters、quantitative analysis of hemoglobin、Osmotic fragility test of erythrocyte incubation(one tube method)、dena-tured hemoglobin inclusion body test among 222 645 peoples reproductive age in the six provinces of southern China,and statistical analysis of abnormal screening in different provinces(cities)was carried out.Results A-mong 222 645 cases in the six provinces(cities),abnormal samples were detected in 32074 cases,and the abnor-mal detection rate was 14.39%.The total positive detection rate from high to low according to the order of Guangxi(24.87%),Sichuan(17.53%),Yunnan(14.76%),Hunan(11.53%),Chongqing(10.69%)and Guizhou(8.61%).Among the six provinces(city),the total α and β thalassemia screening positive rate were 16.37%,17.81%,the specific distribution(α/β):Guangxi(7.06% /5.89%),Sichuan(2.74% /3.02%),Hunan (1.87% /2.32%),Yunnan(1.56% /1.57%),Guizhou(1.85% /3.04%)and Chongqing(1.29% /1.97%).The total α and β thalassemia screening suspected positive rate were 50.56%,3.25%,the specific distribution(α/β):Guangxi(11.59% /0.33%),Sichuan(11.27% /0.50%),(9.58% /2.05%)in Yunnan,Chongqing(7.35% /0.08%),(7.12% /0.22%)of Hunan and Guizhou(3.65% /0.07%).Conclusion The six southern provinces (city)positive screening rate distribution is different,the highest in Guangxi,followed by Sichuan,Guizhou is the lowest;suggestions will flow into the southern city and high malaria area included in in screening of thalas-semia.The four-way experiment has a higher positive rate of screening for thalassemia,and screening out the number of abnormal hemoglobin disease,and has great value of reduce the misdiagnosis.In order to further re-duce the misdiagnosis,suggested that serum iron detection into thalassemia screening.Strengthen the screen-ing efforts for thalassemia in high risk families,reducing the birth rate of thalassemia major,improve popula-tion quality,reduce the economic burden of the family and the country.

Study on the unintended pregnancy among married women of child-bearing age living in Qingshan district, Wuhan / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To investigate the prevalence of unintended pregnancy (UP) and exploring the risk factors of UP for married women of child-bearing age from Qingshan district,Wuhan.Methods A cross-sectional study was adopted in this study.Cluster sampling method was used with 3256 women recruited,in 2010.Information on history and risks related to social-demographic factors of UP were collected,using a self-administered questionnaire.Results Of the 3256 participants,over half of them (53.8％) reorted ever having had the history of UP and 9.1％ reported UP in the past year.Rate of UP in the past year for different age cohorts (18-30,31-40,41-49 years) were 31.8％,10.5％ and 1.8％ respectively.The most frequently reported reason for UP across all the age cohorts was "Did not use any contraceptive methods",with proportions on the reason that reported by women at 18-30,31-40 and 41-49 year-olds,were 69.7％,51.1％ and 42.4％ respectively.The second frequently reported reasons for UP were "Failure of traditional contraception" for younger cohort ( 18-30 years:13.0％ ) and "IUD dropped or pregnancy with IUD" for older-age cohorts (23.4％ at 31-40 year-olds and 37.0％ at the 41-49 year-oplds).The most frequently cited reason for "Did not use any contraceptive methods" was "Believe we were lucky so far,not to get pregnant" (59.6％).The risk factors of UP were being at older age,experiencing sex debut at younger age and got married at younger age.Conclusion The prevalence of lifetime UP history was high among women at child-bearing age from Qingshan district,Wuhan.Reproductive health services and interventions should be taken according to the needs from different age cohorts of women.Younger cohort of women should receive more attention.

Analysis and countermeasure of causes of death in 161 women of child-bearing age / 中国医师杂志

Objectives To find out the causes of death and factors related to death of the 15 to 49 years old women of child-bearing age in Xiqiao town , Nanhai District , and to get a clear idea of the empha-ses on their health care , thus providing scientific evidence on effective intervention measures taken aiming at decreasing the mortality .Methods The death correlation data of women of child-bearing age in 15 to 49 years old in Xiqiao town , Nanhai District from January ,2005 to December ,2009 were analyzed and make a check on the data with Xiqiao town public security station and Nanhai District CDC .Finally the the com-munity doctor carries on the investigation and check the data again .Results Among the death of 161 women of ages from 15 to 49 , the dead age mainly distributed in 40 to 49 years old, next was 30 to 39 years old.Ranking in top five of the cause of death were various systems malignant tumor , other were in turn the traffic accident , heart disease , the suicide and encephalorrhagia .Conclusion We should carry on the health education and popularize the knowledge of preventing disease regularly to the women of child -bearing age in order to decrease the mortality rate .

A Study on Development and Validation of Food Frequency Questionnaire for Estimating Energy Intake of Women in Child-Bearing Age / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was conducted to develop a computerized food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for assessing nutritional status of women of child-bearing age. Computerized food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) that reflect intakes of energy, carbohydrate, fat and protein was developed for women of child-bearing age. This FFQ is composed of 61 foods or food groups containing 192 dish items. To estimate of energy intake easily, we have developed a computer program that can be viewed on a computer screen in an actual size of dish items. Nutrient intakes of the last three months by the FFQ was validated with comparing the result of a 3-day diet record through 92 college students aged from 20 to 30. The level of energy, carbohydrate and sodium of estimating by the FFQ method was significantly higher than the level of a 3-day diet records method (p < 0.01). Pearson's correlation coefficients between the two methods were 0.50 for carbohydrate (p < 0.01), 0.55 for energy (p < 0.01) and 0.56 for protein (p < 0.01). Spearman's correlation coefficients were 0.53 for carbohydrate (p < 0.01), 0.55 for energy (p < 0.01) and 0.52 for protein (p < 0.01). The percent of subject in the lowest quartile in a 3-day diet record belonged to the first and second lowest quartile in food frequency questionnaire is 78.2% in energy, 91.3% in carbohydrate, 78.2% in protein, 69.5% in fat. Also, the percent of subject in the highest quartile in a 3-day diet record belong to the first and second highest quartile in food frequency questionnaire is 78.3% in energy, 73.9% in carbohydrate, 82.6% in protein, and 73.9% in fat. On the whole, the result of this study seemed to be in good agreement with other studies. Therefore, the FFQ developed by this study is considered to be a reliable tool to assess nutrients and food intakes for women of child-bearing age.