Relationship between dietary folate consumption and intake of folate supplements among Japanese pregnancy

Abstract

Objective: Recent years, prevalence of dietary supplement use increase among pregnant women in Japan, therefore for evaluating folate intake during pregnancy, it is significant to take into account dietary supplement. We examined the contribution ratio of dietary supplements to total folate intake and relationship between folate intake from diet and use of dietary supplements among Japanese pregnancy. Method: Subjects were 194 Japanese pregnant women who visit National Center for Child Health and Development in 2011. We used the Food Frequency Questionnaire for calculating folate intake dietary, and the dietary habits and life style questionnaire from calculating folate intake from dietary supplements. Prevalence of folate supplements use and contribution of folate supplements to total folate intake were compared across quartile of folate intake from diet. Result: Supplement users were 74.2%(n=144) women. Average of contribution ratio of dietary supplements to folate intake was 42.2±28.2%. Discussion: Prevalence of folate supplement use in subjects and contribution ratio of folate supplements to total folate intake were exceedingly high. Therefore if we survey folate intake among pregnancy without taking account of dietary supplements, we will underestimate it. The highest quartile of folate intake from diet was the lowest prevalence of dietary supplement use and the lowest contribution of folate supplements to total folate intake. Dietary folate intakeis relevant to folate intake from diet and use of dietary supplements among Japanese pregnancy. Conclusion: This study indicates that taking account of dietary supplement provides more accurate estimate of folate intake.