The FAA Report

FAA Executive summary

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Contents:

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Overview

Issues

Call to action

Appendices:

Biographies

IPSOS survey

References

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The FAA Report

FAA Executive summary

Appendix 2 - IPSOS survey research findings

IPSOS, an international market research company, conducted research to evaluate the current levels of awareness and reported behaviour related to uptake of folic acid amongst new mothers, pregnant women and women contemplating pregnancy aged between 16 and 45. The research was conducted with a nationally representative sample of c. 1,195 women in September 2003.

The key findings included:

. Overall, 67 per cent of the sample that took folic acid claimed that they did so due to GP recommendation (see table 1).

. Overall, nine out of ten women taking folic acid were aware of the health benefits (see table 2).

. Overall, usage of folic acid amongst mothers was greatest in the 25-34 age band with 64 per cent, which was significantly higher than 16-24 and 35-45 age bands who scored 42 per cent and 53 per cent respectively.

. Overall, 53 per cent of women planning a pregnancy and during pregnancy took folic acid (see table 3).

. Overall, only 28 per cent took folic acid when planning their pregnancy (see table 4).

. One in ten women claimed not to know the benefits of taking folic acid (see table 5).

. Women were four times more likely to get advice on taking folic acid from a GP than a midwife and nine times more likely than family/friends (see table 6).

. Of the women who had a child in the last five years, 52 per cent were asked to attend a health check immediately (see table 7), of these only 43 per cent were working mums compared to 62 per cent of non-working mums.