Maternal and Child Health Library
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November 2, 2007
1. 2007 Edition of Women's Health Data Book Released
2. Research Brief Focuses on the Decline in the
Proportion of Repeat Births to Adolescents in All States
3. Web Site Expands to Include Nutritional Advice for
Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women
4. Article Analyzes Trends in Folic Acid Consumption
Among Women of Reproductive Age in California
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1. 2007 EDITION OF WOMEN'S HEALTH DATA BOOK RELEASED
Women's Health USA 2007, the sixth edition of the data book, presents a
profile of women's health at the national level from a variety of data
sources. The data book, developed by the Health Resources and Services
Administration, includes information and data on population
characteristics, health status, and health services utilization. New
topics in the 2007 edition include autoimmune diseases, gynecological
and reproductive disorders, and digestive disorders. Racial and ethnic,
sex and gender, and socioeconomic disparities in women's health are
also highlighted. The data book is intended to be a concise reference
for policymakers and program managers at the federal, state, and local
levels to identify and clarify issues affecting women's health. It is
available at http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/whusa_07/index.htm.
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2. RESEARCH BRIEF FOCUSES ON THE DECLINE IN THE PROPORTION OF REPEAT
BIRTHS TO ADOLESCENTS IN ALL STATES
Repeat Teen Childbearing: Differences Across States and by Race and
Ethnicity provides new information on trends in births to adolescent
females who have given birth more than once to help state agencies and
local programs address the needs of these adolescents and their
children. The research brief, produced by Child Trends, is based on
data from the Natality Data Set CD Series 21, gathered and disseminated
by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Supplemental
information on 2004 adolescent birth rates was drawn from a recent NCHS
report. The brief presents national- and state-level birth statistics
for females age 15-19. Statistics on repeat childbearing pertain to
adolescent females who have already had a child and do not include male
adolescents who may have fathered multiple children. Figures, tables,
and a map are included. The brief is available at http://www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends-2007_10_25_RB_Repeat.pdf.
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3. WEB SITE EXPANDS TO INCLUDE NUTRITIONAL ADVICE FOR PREGNANT AND
BREASTFEEDING WOMEN
MyPyramid for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding provides individualized
guidance to meet the unique nutritional needs of women who are pregnant
or nursing. The new section of the MyPyramid.gov Web site was developed
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and
Promotion in conjunction with the Special Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to include specific
advice for pregnant and breastfeeding women consistent with the 2005
Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A user can input basic data to
receive an individualized MyPyramid Plan, called "MyPyramid Plan for
Moms." This plan provides recommended amounts to eat from each food
group, by trimester of pregnancy or stage of breastfeeding. The Web
site also includes information on nutritional needs during pregnancy
and breastfeeding, weight gain during pregnancy, weight loss during
breastfeeding, dietary supplements, food safety, and special health
needs. Numerous links to additional information on pregnancy or
breastfeeding available from other federal agencies is also included.
The Web site is available at http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramidmoms/index.html.
The information is also available in three fact sheets available
through WIC clinics and from the WIC Works Web site at http://www.nal.usda.gov/wicworks/Topics/MyPyramid_Resources.html.
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4. ARTICLE ANALYZES TRENDS IN FOLIC ACID CONSUMPTION AMONG WOMEN OF
REPRODUCTIVE AGE IN CALIFORNIA
"To reduce disparities in NTD [neural tube defect] rates between
Hispanics and non-Hispanics, Hispanic women of reproductive age should
consume 400 ug of folic acid daily through fully fortified sources:
either breakfast cereal or vitamin supplements," write the authors of
an article published in the October 26, 2007, issue of MMWR Weekly.
Daily intake of 400 ug of folic acid before conception can reduce by
approximately 80% the risk of having an infant with an NTD such as
spina bifida or ancephaly. To analyze trends in folic-acid-containing
supplement intake among California women ages 18-44 during the period
2002-2006, the California Department of Public Health conducted trend
analyses of data from the California Women's Health Survey (CWHS). This
report summarizes the results of those analyses.
CWHS is a statewide, random-digit-dialed telephone survey of women ages
18 and older. Data from respondents are collected annually, half of
which are from respondents ages 18-44. Respondents answered two
folic-acid-related questions: (1) are you currently taking a prenatal
or multivitamin pill or pill containing the B vitamin folate or folic
acid? and (2) do you take any of these on a daily basis? Respondents
who answered yes to both were identified as persons who use folic acid
daily.
The authors found that
- The overall use of folic-acid-containing supplements remained
stable from 2002 (40%) to 2006 (41%) in California.
- Among Hispanic women in California, the use of folic
acid-containing supplements decreased significantly during the period,
from 32.8% in 2002 to 30.2% in 2006. This decrease was also significant
in risk-adjusted models controlling for the effects of (1) age and
income and (2) age and educational attainment.
- Among women with less than a high school education in California,
the use of folic-acid-containing supplements decreased significantly
during the period, from 27.5% in 2002 to 24.2% in 2006.
The authors point out that downward trends in folic acid consumption
among Hispanic women are of particular concern because (1) Hispanic
women are at increased risk for having a fetus or an infant with an NTD
compared with women of other races and ethnicities, (2) the number of
births to Hispanics in California increased during 1993-2003, and (3)
Hispanics accounted for nearly 52% of all births in California in 2005.
The authors conclude that "supporting evidence-based behavior-change
initiatives, such as social marketing campaigns, is an important step
toward ensuring that all women of childbearing age consume 400 ug of
folic acid every day to prevent serious birth defects." They also state
that "development of additional targeted and evidence-based public
health interventions for increasing folic acid intake among these
populations [Hispanic women and women with less education] is needed."
Herrndorf AM, Haydu SC, Takahashi ER. 2007. Trends in folic acid
supplement intake among women of reproductive age --
California, 2002-2006. MMWR Weekly 56(42): 1106-1109. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5642a3.htm?s_cid=mm5642a3_e.
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and
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