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Assessment of folic acid status and some related factors in female students at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
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M Bazhan *   , F Tahbaz , H Alavi Majd |
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Abstract: (7136 Views) |
| Background and Objectives: Folic acid has emerged as a key nutrient for optimizing health. Impaired folic acid status has been identified as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, various types of cancers, and neurocognitive disorders. The study aimed to assess folic acid status and some related factors in female students of a medical university in Tehran, Iran.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study, 346 female students were randomly selected from eight schools of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. For each student, questionnaires about general characteristics and their knowledge in folic acid intake were completed. Serum folic acid concentrations were measured by Radio Immunoassay (RIA). Dietary folic acid intake was assessed by 3 days food recall questionnaire. These data were analyzed by Food Processor (FP).
Results: Based on the serum folate level, 3.5% and 32.7% of the students suffered from severe and mild deficiency, respectively. 63.8% had normal folate serum levels. Approximately 93% of students did not meet the reference dietary intake for folic acid (400 μg/day). Half of the students had good or excellent knowledge about folic acid and its properties. However, folic acid knowledge was not related to its intake. No correlation was found between folic acid concentrations in serum with folic acid intake from food. The serum folic acid concentrations were higher in multivitamin/ mineral supplement users than in non-users (p<0.0001).
Conclusions: Folic acid deficiency is highly prevalent among students. Considering the importance of folic acid in health maintenance, appropriate intervention is necessary for adequate intake of folate.
Keywords: Folic acid, Knowledge, Female Students |
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| Keywords: Folic acid, Knowledge, Female Students |
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Full-Text [PDF 117 kb]
(3014 Downloads)
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Article type: Research |
Subject:
nutrition
Received: 2013/02/19 | Accepted: 2013/11/19 | Published: 2013/11/19
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