News Release

¡Comida saludable, vida saludable!--UM and the March of Dimes help Latina women shop for food high in folic acid

June 12, 2003 press release from the University of Michigan Health System and the University of Michigan School of Public Health

The daily diet of women who are pregnant or of childbearing age should include folic acid either from supplements or from food like oranges, green leafy vegetables, or fortified bread, pasta, or cereal products. However, less than one-third of women get the recommended 400 micrograms of the B vitamin, folic acid, each day to help prevent birth defects in their future children.

With help from the University of Michigan Health System's MFit Health Promotions Division, the March of Dimes Southwest Michigan Chapter and the UM School of Public Health, more than 15 southeast Michigan supermarkets and community agencies are working to increase women's daily folic acid intake.

Through the educational program called "Healthy Food, Healthy Life!," which translates to "¡Comida Saludable, Vida Saludable!" in Spanish, those groups are teaming up to make it easier for women to learn more about the food and supplements rich in folic acid. As part of the program, participating supermarkets and community agencies will host food tastings and provide educational materials about folic acid, in addition to expert advice from MFit, for their clientele.

Like the 2002 supermarket campaign, "Sisters Coming Together with the 'B' Attitude," this year's program will again work to encourage women of childbearing age to purchase and eat more food high in folic acid, and to take a daily multivitamin. In the United States, at least 4,000 pregnancies are affected by neural tube defects each year, which includes about 140 infants in Michigan. And Latino infants are often at the highest risk for neural tube defects.

"Targeting Latina women of childbearing age is particularly important because research has shown that Latina women are 40 to 50 percent more likely to have babies with birth defects of the brain and spine than non-Hispanic white women," says Jennifer L. Howse, MD, president of the March of Dimes. "The March of Dimes believes it is critical to raise awareness about the importance of folic acid for all women, especially for Latina women, and to let them know how they can help prevent those birth defects."

Dr. Srimathi Kannan, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at UM SPH and co-principal investigator on the project, says that folic acid in its natural "folate" form is different from many B vitamins in that it is less "bio-available" and more unstable. It is thus more likely to be lost during cooking of even vitamin-rich foods, making the role of dietary supplements even more important.

"We're trying to reach as many women of childbearing age as we can with the message," Dr. Kannan says.

Dr. Kannan and her group are responsible for direction, goals, and evaluation in the project. Seven students from the School of Public Health program in Human Nutrition are working on the project as part of their field placement.

UM experts advise that women get the recommended amount of folic acid each day during their childbearing years since some birth defects occur very early in pregnancy, often before a woman knows she's pregnant. And evidence suggests that half of neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida, could be prevented if women got enough folic acid before pregnancy.

Research has shown that Latina women are less informed about folic acid and the need to include it in their diet during childbearing years. Latina women in the United States are also less likely to receive prenatal care during the first trimester than non-Latinas. In addition, the Latino share of all births in the United States is expected to grow from 19 percent to 25 percent by 2050.

Following the 2002 MFit folic acid campaign, 83 percent of women who visited the program's educational displays about folic acid and participated in the folic acid taste tests said they would change their intake of folic acid.

Participating supermarkets / organizations in "Healthy Food, Healthy Life" campaign:

June 15, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Randazzo's Fruit & Vegetable Market, 5240 E. Outer Dr., Detroit.

June 16, 2 - 6 p.m., Ryan's Foods, 5858 W Vernor Highway, Detroit.

June 21, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Meijer, 14640 Pardee Rd., Taylor.

June 27, 7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., Washtenaw WIC, 555 Tower, Bldg. 1, Rm. 110, Ypsilanti.

July 2, 3 -7 p.m., Farmer Jack, 14100 Woodward Avenue, Highland Park.

July 11, 1 - 4 p.m., CHASS WIC clinics, 5635 W. Fort St., Detroit.

July 13, Noon - 4 p.m., Kroger, 2060 Dix Avenue, Lincoln Park.

July 18, 1 - 4 p.m., CHASS WIC clinics, 5635 W. Fort St., Detroit.

July 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Latino Family Services, 3815 W. Fort Street, Detroit.

July 20, Noon - 4 p.m., Farmer Jack, 9023 Joseph Campo, Hamtramck.

July 25, 1 - 4 p.m.: CHASS WIC clinics, 5635 W. Fort St., Detroit.

Aug. 1, 1 - 4 p.m.: CHASS WIC clinics, 5635 W. Fort St., Detroit.

Aug. 2, 11 a.m. -3 p.m., 3600 Oakwood Blvd., Melvindale.

Aug. 8, 1 - 5 p.m. Farmer Jack, 8665 Rosa Park Boulevard, Detroit.

Contact: MFit's Health Promotion Division
Phone: (734) 975-4463

© 2003 The Regents of the University of Michigan
Updated June 12, 2003