Folate intake, food -related behaviors, and nutrition education in low -income women of childbearing age

Folate is a B vitamin required for normal neural tube development, among other functions. To reduce the frequency of neural tube defects such as spina bifida, mandatory fortification of the U.S. food supply with synthetic folic acid (SFA) began in 1998. While blood folate levels in the general population increased, limited studies suggest some groups may still have sub-optimal folate status.;Upon discovering that more than half of participants had low SFA intakes, a folate-focused, learner-centered nutrition education lesson was developed and targeted at non-pregnant, low-income women of childbearing age. A randomized, controlled intervention was conducted to test the lesson's effectiveness, beginning with cross-sectional data collection at baseline. Of the 157 participants, 63% had baseline SFA intakes below the recommendation. Folate intake was positively associated with overall healthy food-related behaviors, including use of the Nutrition Facts label, eating more than one kind of fruit each day, and thinking about healthy food choices when deciding what to feed one's family. Contradictory to previous reports, depression symptoms were unrelated to total folate intake, but positively related to SFA intake from fortified foods. Further research is needed to explore this inconsistency.;Participants who attended the nutrition lesson increased their folate intake and improved other food-related behaviors. Although food purchasing assistance without accompanying education did not influence folate intake, WIC participants who received the nutrition education increased their folate intake and food stamp recipients who received the nutrition education increased the frequency of eating more than one kind of vegetable each day. Change in intake of specific folate-rich foods differed by ethnicity, supporting the need for culturally sensitive nutrition education. In conclusion, learner-centered nutrition education is an effective way to improve folate intake and other food-related behaviors in this population.;The initial objective of my research was to assess folate intakes among low-income women of childbearing age in California. Of 195 women studied, 59% were not meeting the current dietary recommendation. On average, Hispanic participants consumed the most folate, followed by Caucasians, and then African Americans. The use of folic acid-containing supplements was an important predictor for whether a woman was meeting the recommendation.