Table 1.
Folic acid supplementation use during first trimester of pregnancy in the PRAM study, Connecticut, USA by characteristics of study population (n=1499).
| Characteristics | n | Proportion (%) |
Folic acid Intake per day, month before pregnancy Mean (mcg) (SD) |
Folic acid Intake per day in first trimester Mean(mcg) (SD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Participants | 1499 | 100 | 304 (367) | 497 (301) |
| Maternal age (years) | ||||
| <25 | 341 | 22.75 | 66 (200) | 280 (257) |
| 25-35 | 884 | 58.97 | 364 (365)a | 548 (272)a |
| >35 | 274 | 18.28 | 405 (407)a | 603 (311)a, b |
| Maternal ethnicity | ||||
| White | 1086 | 72.45 | 375 (373)a | 565 (277)a |
| African American | 144 | 9.61 | 105 (286) | 318 (299) |
| Hispanic | 209 | 13.94 | 90 (222) | 294 (260) |
| Asian/other | 60 | 4.00 | 222 (363) | 394 (333) |
| Maternal education | ||||
| Less than or equal 12 years | 418 | 27.89 | 111 (246) | 317 (267) |
| At least some College | 735 | 49.03 | 338 (368)a | 542 (283)a |
| At least some graduate school | 346 | 23.08 | 463 (388)a, b | 619 (279)a, b |
| Household income ($) | ||||
| > 40 000 | 1061 | 70.78 | 368 (365)a | 558 (273)a |
| <= 40 000 | 390 | 26.02 | 107 (281) | 317 (229) |
| Do not know | 48 | 3.20 | 467 (440)a | 604 (344)a |
| Maternal marital status | ||||
| Married | 1093 | 72.92 | 388 (375)a | 572 (279)a |
| Single/divorced | 406 | 28.08 | 76 (220) | 294 (262) |
| Smoking | ||||
| Never | 917 | 61.17 | 345 (375)a | 523 (297)a |
| Quit before becoming pregnant | 315 | 21.01 | 351 (386)a | 543 (322)a |
| 1st trimester | 173 | 11.54 | 104 (227) | 353 (241) |
| Throughout pregnancy | 94 | 6.27 | 107 (223) | 346 (236) |
| Mothers diagnosed with asthma | ||||
| Yes | 828 | 55.24 | 323 (369)a | 510 (299)a |
| No | 671 | 44.76 | 279 (363) | 481 (302) |
| Parity | ||||
| 0 | 670 | 44.70 | 324 (376)a | 518 (299)a |
| 1 | 516 | 34.42 | 317 (367)a | 500 (295)a |
| ≥2 | 313 | 20.88 | 238 (341) | 445 (308) |
| Also vitamins C, D, E | ||||
| No | 1316 | 87.79 | 286 (363) | 480 (299) |
| Yes | 183 | 12.21 | 431 (371)a | 618 (284)a |
| Iron use | ||||
| No | 1374 | 91.66 | 299 (357) | 491 (290) |
| Yes | 125 | 8.34 | 348 (459) | 559 (399) |
| Calcium use | ||||
| No | 1334 | 88.99 | 278 (352) | 475 (294) |
| Yes | 165 | 11.01 | 509 (417)a | 674 (298)a |
a
P<0.05 vs. the lower number within each category,
b
P<0.05 vs. the second lowest number within each category