Awareness of Pharmacy Students regarding the Importance of Folic Acid Intake for the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects
10.11256/jjdi.17.185
- VernacularTitle:葉酸による出生児の神経管閉鎖障害リスク低下効果に関する薬学生の認識
- Author:
Atsushi Takahashi
;
Taku Obara
;
Hiroshi Ohara
;
Michihiro Satoh
;
Fumiya Asano
;
Hiroshi Onogi
;
Masataka Hayasaka
;
Hiroshi Satoh
;
Nariyasu Mano
;
Yuriko Murai
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
folic acid;
neural tube defects;
pharmacy students
- From:Japanese Journal of Drug Informatics
2016;17(4):185-191
- CountryJapan
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Objective: Adequate periconceptional folic acid intake decreases the risk of neural tube defects in infants. The present study aimed to investigate the awareness of pharmacy students regarding the importance of folic acid intake for the prevention of neural tube defects.
Design: Questionnaire survey.
Methods: A self-administered questionnaire regarding the importance of folic acid intake for the prevention of neural tube defects was distributed to 750 pharmacy students at Tohoku and Ohu Universities.
Results: Among the 685 respondents (response rate; 91.3%), 74 (10.8%) were aware that folic acid intake decreases the risk of neural tube defects. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, awareness of the importance of folic acid intake was evident among 5th- and 6th-year pharmacy students (odds ratio=3.352, 95% confidence interval=1.797-6.253) and among those who used dietary supplements (2.275, 1.306-3.966). Among the 74 pharmacy students who recognized the importance of folic acid intake, 17 (23.0%) and 3 (4.1%) were aware that women should begin taking a folic acid supplement before conception and should take about 400 μg per day during pregnancy, respectively.
Conclusion: Only about 10% of the pharmacy students in this study recognized that folic acid intake decreases the risk of neural tube defects, and many were unaware of the recommended intake amount. Therefore, awareness of the importance of folic acid intake must be more aggressively promoted among pharmacy students.
