KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF PRECONCEPTIONAL FOLIC ACID AMONG ANTENATAL PREGNANT WOMEN IN SPHMMC AA ETHIOPIA, 2020 GC: CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY
Abstract
Background: NTD are second most common congenital malformations in humans affecting the development of the central nervous system. It is recommended that all women of child-bearing age who are capable of becoming pregnant should consume 0.40 mg of folic acid per day for the purpose of reducing their risk of having a pregnancy affected with spina bifida or other NTDs. There is limited data on knowledge and use preconceptional folic acid in Ethiopia. The aim of this study is to assess the level of knowledge and use of preconceptional folic acid among antenatal pregnant women at SPHHMC, Addis Ababa Ethiopia.
Methods: Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted on 289 sampled, consented pregnant women that visited St.Paul’s hospital millennium medical college for antenatal care during April to June, 2021 G.C.
Result: About 38.6% of women took folic acid supplement at different period of pregnancy. And around one third of respondents (28.6%) had heard of folic acid, and 20.9% of them had good knowledge. However, only 6.6%% used folic acid in the preconception period. Around 34.7% of pregnant women knew that folic acid could prevent NTDs. About 67.2% of college educated women tend to use folic acid at protective period compared to 31.7% of uneducated or had informal education (AOR 0.176, 95% CI p-value 0.009). Among a women who had preconceptional visit to a doctor 78% of use preconceptional folic acid than those who don’t seek preconceptional visit (AOR 0.27 95%CI, P-value O.O52).This study also have found that 31.7% versus 0.9% (AOR 0.045, 95%CI P-value 0.045) of those who have good knowledge compared with those with poor knowledge use folic acid at the protective period. A women with higher the educational level are more aware regarding FA than those with uneducated or those who had informal education (AOR O.O97, 95%CI p-value 0.000). Women who had preconceptional visit (38.9%)(AOR1.201, 95%CI p-value0.000) also have higher odds of good knowledge than a women with no preconceptional visit(6.7%) to doctor.
Conclusions: Folic acid usage during the protective period against neural tube defects among pregnant women in Addis Ababa Ethiopia is very low, so healthcare plan to improve intake of folic acid is required.