Objective: To investigate the impact of family members and health care providers on the use of folic acid supplements in pregnant women, and to provide basic data for improving the effectiveness of folic acid intervention.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in hospitals and households from June to September in 2009. Face-to-face anonymous questionnaires were distributed to 2094 women, who were pregnant at least three months or postpartum in one year, in two counties of Gansu Province.
Results: The awareness rate of folic acid was in 62.2% of 2094 pregnant women, and 25.4% of them have taken folic acid. Higher knowledge about folic acid of family members (OR = 0.268, 95% CI 0.208 - 0.346), agreed with taking folic acid by family members (OR = 0.103, 95% CI 0.031 -0.338), and urging pregnant women to take folic acid by family members (OR = 0.147, 95% CI 0.115 - 0.190) were significant predictors for having folic acid taken by pregnant women. Propagating knowledge related to folic acid (OR = 0.252, 95% CI 0.197 - 0.323) and directing pregnant women to use folic acid (OR = 0.168, 95% CI 0.096 - 0.296) by health care providers were also the important predictors for folic acid intake.
Conclusion: Family members and health care providers play an important role in affecting the use of folic acid among pregnant women. In order to improve the effectiveness of intervention with folic acid, family members of pregnant women and health care providers should be included into the target population to receive an intensive propaganda campaign on folic acid education to improve the use of folic acid in pregnant women extensively.