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So . . . Who Knows About Folic Acid in
Your State?
The National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN)
has established a new Folic Acid Surveillance Subcommittee. The purpose
of the subcommittee is to monitor and report on folic acid awareness,
knowledge, and behavior changes and to promote the use of such data at
the state and local level as a means of evaluating and supporting NTD
prevention efforts. The subcommittee is currently collecting folic acid
awareness, knowledge, and behavior change data from national sources
such as MOD and CDC. The subcommittee plans to provide a listing of who
has data on the NBDPN Web site so others may have access to this
information. The subcommittee is soliciting your help in identifying
states and local communities that have either developed their own folic
acid surveys to determine folic acid awareness, knowledge, or behavior
change or are using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System or
the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System to collect these data.
A Folic Acid Surveillance Reporting Form has been
developed to help the subcommittee determine which states are monitoring
these indicators and what their experiences have been. If you are
familiar with any assessments of folic acid awareness, knowledge, and
behavior changes in your state,
please e-mail Cara Mai at
cmai@cdc.gov. Please feel free to ask others in your state who may
also be able to report on this information to contact her, also."
Kentucky Legislature Invests $3
Million for Their Folic Acid/Healthy Babies Campaign
The Department of Public Health received $3 million
for a folic acid initiative through the Kentucky local health department
system, which has an agency in all 127 counties. The funding is a
component of Governor Paul Patton's Early Childhood Initiative, entitled
KIDS NOW, which aims to improve the lives of children through prevention
beginning in the very earliest years. In addition to providing funds for
a public awareness campaign, this initiative will also provide training
to local health department personnel (you can view the training module
online at:
http://publichealth.state.ky.us/. Enter the site and click on
“Training”). Other key features of the initiative include education,
counseling, and folic acid supplementation to over 125,000 low-income
women of childbearing age. The funding will also provide the local MOD
chapter an opportunity to enhance health professional training in this
state.
The Kentucky Folic Acid Partnership was officially
organized in April l999. From the beginning, the Department of Public
Health has provided strong leadership for the Partnership and for the
Kentucky campaign. Dr. James S. Davis, MD, Director, Division of Adult
and Child Health, serves as chairperson for this group, which consists
of over 30 private and public agencies.
Previously Reported Campaigns
Taken from
Preventing Neural Tube Birth Defects: A Prevention Model and Resource
Guide, these Real World Examples demonstrate how some
programs have planned, implemented, and evaluated their campaigns in
different areas of the United States. Each campaign offers a wealth of
creative ideas and approaches to spreading the message about the
benefits of folic acid and motivating women capable of becoming pregnant
to increase their consumption of vitamin supplements and fortified
foods.
Click here to view the Real World Examples.
Date:
January 24, 2007
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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