Examining folic acid intake: a cross-sectional study of pregnancy-related practices

Muhammad M. Khan; Muhammad Saad; Muhammad R. Syed; Farina F. Siddiqui; Aisha R. Siddiqui; Maisam A. Rajput; Noor-us-Sahar Siddiqui; Ifrah Sanaullah; Laraib Gul; Muhammad Ahmad

doi:10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20240508

Authors

Muhammad M. Khan Department of Internal Medicine, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
Muhammad Saad Department of Internal Medicine, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
Muhammad R. Syed Department of Internal Medicine, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
Farina F. Siddiqui Department of Internal Medicine, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
Aisha R. Siddiqui Department of Internal Medicine, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
Maisam A. Rajput Department of Internal Medicine, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
Noor-us-Sahar Siddiqui Department of Emergency Medicine, Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland
Ifrah Sanaullah Department of Internal Medicine, People’s University of Medical and Health Sciences, Shaheed Benzairabad, Sindh, Pakistan
Laraib Gul Department of Internal Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical and Health Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
Muhammad Ahmad Department of Internal Medicine, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20240508

Keywords:

Folic acid deficiency, Neural tube defects, Pregnancy

Abstract

Background: Folic acid supplementation during the periconceptional period is critical in preventing neural tube defects (NTDs) in the developing fetus. In Pakistan, a profound lack of awareness is seen regarding preventable pregnancy-related illnesses and the consequential high maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity rates. However, data from the surveys in the region of Sindh lacks inquiries regarding the baseline characteristics of the surveyed participants. Therefore, this study endeavoured to address this gap.

Methods: Between October 2022 and April 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted at two major tertiary care hospitals in Hyderabad and Jamshoro, Pakistan. A total of 374 participants, chosen by non-probability consecutive sampling, comprised the sample size. The association of demographic variables and knowledge, attitude, and practice of consumption of folic acid during pregnancy was determined using the χ² test. A p value of less than 0.5 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 26.4±5.7 years. A total of 199 (53.20%) participants were literate, compared to 175 (46.79%) participants who were illiterate. Literate women fared better than illiterate women in all the metrics with a p-value of <0.001 and a Pearson correlation coefficient (r) of >0.7. Moreover, folic acid was consumed by only 38% of pregnant women during the periconceptional period.

Conclusions: A substantial lack of knowledge regarding folic acid was found in the surveyed sample, significantly more marked in the illiterate faction. Additionally, the practice was rather unsatisfactory. However, the attitude remained encouraging.

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