Application of Health Belief Model's constructs for predicting regular consumption of folic acid supplements in pregnant women referred to Borazjan's health centers in 2014-15

One of the most common disorders in pregnancy is Folic Acid deficiency and its complications. The aim of this study was to examine the predictors of regular use of folic acid supplements based on HBM in pregnant women referred to Borazjan’s health centers.
Material and In this cross-sectional study, 228 pregnant women or women with planning of pregnancy referred to health centers of Borazjan with random sampling method evaluated. Data was collected with questionnaire in 4 parts included demographic characteristics, knowledge, health belief model constructs and questions about folic acid supplement use. Data was analyzed by SPSS software with using appropriate statistical tests.
The mean age of samples was 27.4±5.41. 144 patients (63.2%) consumed Folic Acid pills regularly, and 84 patients (36.8%) had irregular use. The awareness of folic acid in 22.8% of women was good, 59.6% and 17.5% of samples had intermediate and poor awareness, respectively. The perceived barriers (P Perceived barriers was strongest predictors of folic acid use, therefore intervention based on health belief model, with emphasis on reducing barriers is necessary for improving the use of this medicine during pregnancy.