Vitamin Supplementation in Pre-Pregnancy and Pregnancy among Women—Effects and Influencing Factors in Romania

Calin Avram, Oana Maria Bucur, Ancuța Zazgyva, Laura Avram and Florina Ruta
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Calin Avram: George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 38 Gh. Marinescu St., 540139 Targu Mureș, Romania
Oana Maria Bucur: George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 38 Gh. Marinescu St., 540139 Targu Mureș, Romania
Ancuța Zazgyva: George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 38 Gh. Marinescu St., 540139 Targu Mureș, Romania
Laura Avram: Dimitrie Cantemir University, 3-5 Bodoni Sandor St., 540545 Targu Mureș, Romania
Florina Ruta: George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 38 Gh. Marinescu St., 540139 Targu Mureș, Romania

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-12

Abstract: Introduction: The aim of the study was to identify the consumption of vitamin and folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy in a group of post-partum women (Romanian, Hungarian, and Roma) from Mureș County, Romania, and the influence of socio-economic and behavioral factors on the consumption of vitamins. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study included 1278 post-partum women (during the three days of hospitalization for birth), average age 29.5, registered for giving birth in the three hospitals in Mureș County, 2015–2016. Results: In our sample, 69.58% of the interviewed women did not use any vitamin and folic acid supplements before pregnancy, while 30.70% did not use vitamin supplements during pregnancy. The lack of vitamin supplementation during pregnancy was associated with the low birth weight (<2500 g) of newborns (OR = 2.4, 95% CI [1.6–3.8]) and birth at under 36 weeks of gestation (OR = 0.5, 95% CI [0.2–0.8]). Conclusion: The use of vitamin supplements, including folic acid, continues to be deficient among Romanian women before getting pregnant, as well as during their pregnancy. We observed a lack of vitamin supplementation for pregnant women even if they were influenced by risk factors. This highlights the importance of promoting the benefits of vitamin supplementation equally among all subjects.

Keywords: vitamins; pregnancy; dietary supplements; post-partum women; folic acid; Romania (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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