Folic Acid for Healthy
Babies The National Folic
Acid Campaign
The CDC, the March of Dimes, and the National Council on Folic Acid
have organized the
National Folic Acid Campaign to promote the use of folic acid to prevent the
serious birth
defects spina bifida and anencephaly. The goal of the campaign is to educate
all women who
could possibly become pregnant to consume 400 micrograms (400 mcg) of synthetic
folic acid
daily from vitamin supplements and/or fortified foods in addition to eating
food folate in
a healthful diet.
How will the campaign educate these audiences? CDC has used extensive health
communications research to develop the messages and materials for the campaign.
The
materials and the implementation plan will be provided to all partners who
wish to
participate in the campaign. Channels and strategies for distributing those
materials have
been developed with input from women and community partners. Partners will
be able to
reprint any materials using their own logo and name. The messages were tested
and
reactions from the target audiences were very positive. The messages will be
available as
television, radio, and print PSAs, as well as posters and brochures for health
care
provider offices and other locations.
Who does the campaign target? The campaign will target all women of reproductive
age, health care professionals who serve these women, and community advocacy
groups. Among
women of reproductive age, the research identified two primary target groups
for the
initial campaign: women planning a pregnancy (labeled "contemplators") and those
not planning a pregnancy (labeled "non-contemplators").
The "contemplators"generally fall in the 18-35 year old range and are planning
a pregnancy sometime in
the next year or so. They would seriously consider behavior changes that would
improve
pregnancy outcomes. The biggest barrier for these women appears to be lack
of
knowledgethey do not know when folic acid is needed to be effective. Therefore,
education about the importance of folic acid prior to conception and in the
first few
months is the objective. The timing of taking folic acid will be emphasized in the
message to contemplators. As a group, Hispanic women reported more openness than other
groups to the possibility of becoming pregnant, even if they are not actively
planning
pregnancy at the time. Since Hispanics are at increased risk for spina bifida
and
anencephaly, a concurrent campaign for Hispanic women uses materials developed
specially
for that group, and takes the contemplators target group strategy.
The pregnancy"non-contemplators" are harder to reach. These young
women are usually 18-24 and are not planning to become pregnant. Because non-contemplators
do not intend to become pregnant, they are more resistant than contemplators
to behaviors
that improve pregnancy outcomes. However, the average age for pregnancy is
21, and 50% of
all pregnancies are unplanned. Women in this group understand that while they
are not
planning a pregnancy, they are biologically capable. Therefore, it is important
to raise
their awareness to take multivitamins now in order to reduce the risk for some
serious
birth defects in the future. The tone for messages to this group will be "hip",
youthful, energetic, and will address some of the issues that made this message
personal
for them. The message for non-contemplators will emphasize that your body is
ready for
pregnancy even if youre not planning a pregnancy now.
How will the campaign reach a national audience? The National Council on Folic Acid
(NCFA) is a coalition of diverse organizations that interact with national
consumer,
professional, and multi-cultural constituencies and are committed to a campaign
to promote
folic acid to prevent birth defects. Each member organization of NCFA will
contribute to
the campaign in a manner that will maximize their distribution resources and
best educate
their constituents. NCFA is also recruiting additional partners from the fields
of public
health, education, and business to help implement and evaluate the campaign.
Leadership
and staff for NCFA is being provided by the National March of Dimes Birth Defects
Foundation.
The CDC has published a Folic Acid Resource Guide to provide user-friendly
technical assistance for our partners, local organizations, health departments,
and
community members to conduct local folic acid education campaigns that will
compliment the
national effort. The Resource Guide is available to all who request it.
CDC, the March of Dimes, and the National Council on Folic Acid will
provide materials
and training to all partners who wish to help in the campaign. Materials include
television, radio, and print PSAs, media kits, posters and brochures. These
campaign
materials can be used to plan new state and local campaigns or to integrate
into current
public health efforts. They can be ordered by calling CDC toll-free at 1-888-232-6789.
Current list of organizations participating
in the Steering Committee of
the National Council on Folic Acid:
- American Academy of Family Physicians
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine
- American Dietetic Association
- American Medical Womens Association
- American Nurses Association
- American Pharmaceutical Association
- Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
- Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
- Association of State and Territorial Public Health
Nutrition Directors
- Association of Womens Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Maternal & Child Health Bureau, HRSA, DHHS
- National Birth Defects Prevention Network
- National Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services Organizations
(COSSMHO)
- National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition
- National March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Pan American Health
Organization
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Spina Bifida Association of America
March 1999
NCEH Pub No. 99-0128B Order# 099-6066
Date last reviewed: 10/06/2003
Content source:
National Center On Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD)
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