. 2023 Nov 13;21(11):e08353. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8353

TABLE 6.

Percent folate supplement users in EU surveys and folate intake from food supplements among users (adults and older adults).

Country Survey name (N subjects) Reference	Dietary method (N of days)	Sex	Age range	% Folate supplement users in total survey sample/among supplements users	Folate ^a intake from supplements, P95 (μg/day)	% contribution of supplements to total folate intake, mean
Denmark DANSDA 2011–2013 (n = 3936) (Hindborg, 2015, Unpublished)	Face‐to‐face interview	m f m f	18–50 y 18–50 y 51–75 y 51–75 y	42/NR 51/NR 43/NR 55/NR	NR	27 29 29 34
Finland FINDIET 2017 (n = 1655) (Valsta et al., 2018)	FPQ	m f	18–74 y	23/NR 32/NR	Mean 237 235	47.8 49.9
Germany NVS II 2005–2007 (n = 13,753) (Heuer et al., 2012; Martiniak et al., 2015)	24‐h recall (2 days)	m‐f	14–18 y 19–24 y 25–34 y 35–50 y 51–64 y 65–80 y	2.7–3.3/NR 5–8.2/NR 6.4–10.4/NR 7.6–8.6/NR 7.5–11.5/NR 9.1–11.9/NR	m 893 ^(b) f 1020 ^(b)	m 50.6 ^(b) f 67.3 ^(b)
Ireland NANS 2008–2010 (n = 1500) (Kehoe & Walton, 2022)	Weighted food diary (4 days)	m + f	18–64 y 65–91 y	14.4/48.3 11.9/31.8	400 400	39.5 25.8
Netherlands DNFCS 2012–2016 (n = 4313) (Van Rossum et al., 2022)	Questionnaire (online/paper)	m + f	18–65 y 65–80 y	m 15/41 f 22/39 m 14/40 f 22/38	m 579/f 564 m 500/f 592	NR
Norway Norkost 3 2015 (n = 1787) (Totland et al., 2012; VKM et al., 2015)	FFQ + food diary +24‐h dietary interviews	m f	18–70 y	NR/18 NR/26	500 400	NA
Poland National Dietary Survey 2019–2020 (n = 1831) (Stos et al., 2021)	FPQ	m f	18–65+ y	NR/NR NR/NR	Mean ± SD (range) 278 ± 123 (150–600) 304.9 ± 227.4 (60–800)	NA
Slovenia SI.Menu 2017–2018 (n = 1248) (Pravst et al., 2021)	FPQ	m + f	18–64 y 65–74 y	Multivitamins/folic acid only 36.5/1.9 22.6/0.2	NR	NR

Country Survey name (N subjects) Reference

Dietary method (N of days)

Sex

Age range

% Folate supplement users in total survey sample/among supplements users

Folate ^a intake from supplements, P95 (μg/day)

% contribution of supplements to total folate intake, mean

Denmark

DANSDA 2011–2013 (n = 3936) (Hindborg, 2015, Unpublished)

Face‐to‐face interview

18–50 y

51–75 y

42/NR

51/NR

43/NR

55/NR

Finland

FINDIET 2017 (n = 1655) (Valsta et al., 2018)

FPQ

18–74 y

23/NR

32/NR

Mean

237

235

47.8

49.9

Germany

NVS II 2005–2007 (n = 13,753) (Heuer et al., 2012; Martiniak et al., 2015)

24‐h recall (2 days)

m‐f

14–18 y

19–24 y

25–34 y

35–50 y

51–64 y

65–80 y

2.7–3.3/NR

5–8.2/NR

6.4–10.4/NR

7.6–8.6/NR

7.5–11.5/NR

9.1–11.9/NR

m 893 ^(b)

f 1020 ^(b)

m 50.6 ^(b)

f 67.3 ^(b)

Ireland

NANS 2008–2010 (n = 1500) (Kehoe & Walton, 2022)

Weighted food diary (4 days)

m + f

18–64 y

65–91 y

14.4/48.3

11.9/31.8

400

39.5

25.8

Netherlands

DNFCS 2012–2016 (n = 4313) (Van Rossum et al., 2022)

Questionnaire (online/paper)

m + f

18–65 y

65–80 y

m 15/41

f 22/39

m 14/40

f 22/38

m 579/f 564

m 500/f 592

Norway

Norkost 3 2015 (n = 1787) (Totland et al., 2012; VKM et al., 2015)

FFQ + food diary +24‐h dietary interviews

18–70 y

NR/18

NR/26

500

400

Poland

National Dietary Survey 2019–2020 (n = 1831) (Stos et al., 2021)

FPQ

18–65+ y

NR/NR

Mean ± SD (range)

278 ± 123 (150–600)

304.9 ± 227.4 (60–800)

Slovenia

SI.Menu 2017–2018 (n = 1248) (Pravst et al., 2021)

FPQ

m + f

18–64 y

65–74 y

Multivitamins/folic acid only

36.5/1.9

22.6/0.2

Abbreviations: d, day; DANSDA, The Danish National Survey of Diet and Physical Activity; DNFCS, Dutch National Food Consumption Survey; f, females; FINDIET, The Finnish National Dietary Survey in Adults and Elderly; FFQ, food frequency questionnaire; FPQ, food propensity questionnaire; m, males; N, number; NA, cannot be calculated; NANS, National Adult Nutrition Survey; NR, not reported in the publication; NVS II, Nationale Verzehrsstudie II (National Consumption Study II); SD, standard deviation; VKM, Vitenskapskomiteen format og miljø (Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment); y, year.

^{^a}

Folic acid is the most commonly used form in foods supplements.

^{^b}

Age range: 14–80 years.