ABSTRACT
This study assessed the knowledge and practices about folic acid in pregnancy among pregnant women attending 2 main maternal and child health centres in Abu Dhabi. The majority of the 277 interviewed mothers (79.1%) had heard of folic acid and 46.6% had accurate knowledge about the role of folate in preventing neural tube defects. There were good practices regarding folate supplementation in the current pregnancy; most of the interviewed mothers took it daily and in the recommended dose. However, only a minority took it prior to pregnancy. Education, irrespective of age or parity, was the major factor determining better knowledge of folic acid in pregnancy.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health , Folic Acid/therapeutic use , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Neural Tube Defects/prevention & control , Pregnant Women/psychology , Vitamin B Complex/therapeutic use , Adult , Educational Status , Feeding Behavior , Female , Humans , Logistic Models , Parity , Preconception Care , Pregnancy , Prenatal Care , Self Medication , Surveys and Questionnaires , United Arab Emirates , Urban PopulationABSTRACT
This study assessed the knowledge and practices about folic acid in pregnancy among pregnant women attending 2 main maternal and child health centres in Abu Dhabi. The majority of the 277 interviewed mothers [79.1%] had heard of folic acid and 46.6% had accurate knowledge about the role of folate in preventing neural tube defects. There were good practices regarding folate supplementation in the current pregnancy; most of the interviewed mothers took it daily and in the recommended dose. However, only a minority took it prior to pregnancy. Education, irrespective of age or parity, was the major factor determining better knowledge of folic acid in pregnancy
Subject(s)
Health Education , Folic Acid , Pregnancy , Parity , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeABSTRACT
This report from the National Epidemiological Study of Hypertension in the United Arab Emirates (NESH-UAE) represents the preliminary results of phase I, comprising the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among UAE citizens (adults aged 18-75 years). The data reported in this study represent only the region of the Sharjah district, UAE. There were 3150 individuals enrolled for the study. Hypertension was defined as systolic pressure > 140 mmHg, and/or diastolic pressure> 90 mmHg, and/or reported treatment with one or more antihypertensive medications. The overall prevalence in this screened sample was 36.6%. Most of the study subjects were in the productive age, from 30-50 years. In the hypertensive group there are more females than males (53% vs. 47% respectively). Overall, 26% of hypertensive persons were aware that they had high blood pressure, 41% being treated with antihypertensive medications, and 19 % were under control (systolic pressure < 140 and diastolic pressure < 90 mmHg). We plan to extend the study to other regions in the country in order to attain a representative sample and results about this disease. These preliminary results indicate that hypertension is highly prevalent in the UAE. The rates of awareness, treatment and control are relatively low. Furthermore, they argue for a nation-wide effort to prevent and control high blood pressure in the UAE in order to prevent the related complications.
