Prevalence and Determinants of Folic Acid Uptake among Women of Childbearing Age in the Ho Municipality of the Volta Region of Ghana

Abstract

Folic acid is an essential vitamin that is found in certain green lush vegetables, such as kale, spinach, and cabbage. An estimated 300,000 children are born with NTDs globally each year resulting in the death of approximately 88,000. Studies shows, preconceptional folic acid supplementation reduces the incidence of NTDs by more than 70%, however, adherence to supplementation remains low. This research explores the prevalence and determinants of Folic acid uptake among women of childbearing age in the Ho Municipality of the Volta Region, Ghana. This is a cross-sectional study where a multi-stage probability sampling technique was used in selecting 317 study participants. Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression models were use to evaluate the effect of selected indicators on the uptake level of respondents on FA. A prevalence of 27.18% was determined. Ethnicity, occupation and availability of NHIS were associated with FA supplementation. Public health education strategies should be used to encourage FA use, increase awareness and knowledge on FA supplementation and pregnancy counseling to reduce the incidence of NTDs.