ESTIMATION OF INDIVIDUAL INTAKES OF FOLATE IN WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE WITH AND WITHOUT SIMULATION OF FOLIC-ACID FORTIFICATION

Objectives The objectives of this study were to examine variability of folate intake in order to estimate the number of days needed to accur ately estimate intakes in women of childbearing age and to simulate th e effect of folic acid fortification of cereals and grains on individu al folate intake. Design Observational study of food intake over a 60- day period. Sampling A convenience sample of 21 women completed food r ecords on randomly assigned days within a 60-day period. Outcomes meas ured Folate intake and variance ratios of folate intake. Statistical a nalysis Repeated measures analysis of variance. Results Six days of fo od records were needed to describe folate intake of these women of chi ldbearing age (18 to 45 years) with 20% attenuation of a correlation c oefficient between dietary folate intake and another biological variab le. Seven days of records were needed with simulated folic acid fortif ication (assuming fortification of 140 mu g folic acid per 100 g flour ) and 5 days were needed with supplements containing 200 to 400 mu g f olic acid in addition to folic acid fortification. Food folate intake was 288+/-195 mu g; only 2 of the participants consumed the recommende d 400 mu g. With fortification, folate intake increased to 550+/-279 m u g without supplements and 609+/-327 mu g with supplements. Applicati ons Individual intakes of folate should be assessed with at least 7 da ys of dietary records (20% attenuation). In this sample, when folic ac id fortification was added to dietary intake, routine supplementation was not necessary to achieve folate intakes of 400 mu g in the majorit y of participants. The practice of routine folic acid supplementation should be considered carefully to ensure that individual intakes of fo late do not exceed the upper limits of safety.