Awareness of Periconceptional use of Folic Acid to Prevent Neural Tube Defects in Young Females of Dakshina Kannada Region, India: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) are one of the common congenital anomalies leading to miscarriages and serious disabilities in newborns. NTDs are the second most common type of birth defects. Even though the aetiology of NTDs is multifactorial, Folic Acid (FA) deficiency is the most common cause. There are limited Indian studies on awareness of FA usage in the general public. Aim: To assess the awareness and usage of FA to prevent NTDs in young ladies of Mangaluru, Dakshina Kannada (DK) district, Karnataka, India. Materials and Methods: It was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted at Father Muller Medical College in Dakshina Kannada district, Mangaluru, Dakshina Kannada (DK) district, Karnataka, India from August 2023 to October 2023. A total of 300 young Indian females aged 18-35 years, residing in the study district, were randomly chosen as participants. Data were collected by an interviewer using a semistructured questionnaire with two components. Part 1 focused on sociodemographic details, while Part 2 gathered information on the awareness of FA supplements, dietary sources of FA, the best time, and dosage of FA supplements to prevent NTDs. Descriptive analysis of the data was done. Results: The study included 90 married and 210 unmarried females. The average age of the participants was 23.7 +/- 5.7 years. The study results observed that only 103 (34%) of the participants had heard about FA supplements. A total of 240 (80%) of them said they were not aware of the preferred time for FA. Only 9 (3%) females could mention the correct dose of FA. Conclusion: The study results indicate a gross lack of awareness about FA supplements to prevent NTDs in the general population of the region.