| Abstract: | The objectives of this study were: to inform health professionalsand women of childbearing age about the prevention of neuraltube defects by folate; to recommend that all women of childbearingage increase their intake of folate; and to evaluate the effectivenessof the strategies used to achieve these aims. The study tookplace in Western Australia. The Folate and Neural Tube DefectsPrevention Project is a health promotion project using writtenmaterial, presentations and unpaid media. Surveys were carriedout of general practitioners, child health nurses and womenof childbearing age before the project began and 12 months later.The main outcome measures were: knowledge of folate and preventionof neural tube defects and exposure to and effectiveness ofpromotional material. Knowledge of folate and the preventionof neural tube defects increased amongst general practitionersand child health nurses, and most displayed the promotionalmaterial and made changes in their practice to promote an increasedfolate intake for women planning a pregnancy. In women of childbearingage, the knowledge of folate, of spina bifida, and of the associationbetween the two, increased over the study period. Women whohad seen the promotional pamphlet were over seven times morelikely to know that increased folate helps prevent spina bifida.The Project has been effective in raising awareness amongsthealth professionals and women of the prevention of neural tubedefects by folate. Further evaluation is needed to determinethe extent to which folate intake has increased, and its effectivenessin reducing the birth prevalence of neutral tube defects. |
