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Awareness of the Benefits of Folic Acid Soar As a Result of CDC’s Media
Buy and Community Outreach

Innovative Community Campaign Educates Hispanic Women About Reducing Birth Defects

MIAMI, FL., -- Through a successful combination of paid media and local outreach, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has significantly increased awareness of the importance of taking folic acid to reduce the risk of certain birth defects in Miami’s Hispanic community. In 2000, prior to the launch of the campaign, less than half (46%) of women had ever heard, read, or seen anything about folic acid compared to 63% in 2002, and an even higher percentage of women were aware of folic acid in Miami. In Miami and San Antonio, Texas, a special local outreach campaign has helped raise awareness among Hispanic women in those communities to 71 percent.

"Women can increase their chances of having a healthy baby if they make sure that they routinely get enough folic acid," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "This campaign is helping to spread the word to Hispanic women in the Miami area so that we can give all of our children a better chance of a healthy start."

CDC will focus now on turning awareness into action by stepping up its community outreach and conducting a second wave of the paid media campaign.

"The folic acid campaign marks a significant milestone in the CDC approach to communicating public health messages," said Dr. Jose Cordero, Director of CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. "The media campaign last fall was the first time CDC had ever used paid advertising time in this manner. The impressive success we’ve seen in getting this important message out to women in the Miami community has led us to implement another round of the campaign in an effort to further decrease the occurrence of birth defects."

To further inform and increase awareness with Hispanic women in the community, the campaign has partnered with "promotoras," Spanish-speaking health educators based at the Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Center. These promotoras were chosen because of their experience conducting health outreach in Miami’s Hispanic community. They use a blend of traditional and non-traditional outreach tactics to reach Latina women where they live, work and play. Tactics include participating in local health fairs, working with immigration services programs to provide information to their clients, and giving presentations in adult education classes.

"Too often, Hispanic audiences are not reached by traditional public health campaigns, and before this campaign, many women had never heard of folic acid," said Linda Albe, a promotora. "By meeting with employees on their lunch break or working with MUJER (Mujeres Unidas en Justicia, Educación y Reforma) to reach women in migrant communities, I am able to talk with women in Miami about the importance of folic acid."

About Folic Acid

When taken before and during the first trimester of pregnancy, a daily dose of 400 micrograms of folic acid can reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly by up to 70 percent. Folic acid is a B vitamin that is consumed through vitamin supplements, fortified foods and certain fruits and vegetables and is necessary for proper cell growth and development of the embryo. Because almost half of pregnancies are unplanned, women should take folic acid before they even consider becoming pregnant.

About Neural Tube Birth Defects

Neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, affect more than 3,000 pregnancies each year. Spina bifida is a birth defect of the spine, which may cause paralysis and other problems. Anencephaly occurs when the brain does not form correctly. Babies with anencephaly cannot live more than a few days.

Studies have shown that there are more cases of neural tube birth defects among the Hispanic population than among other groups, especially in the Southeastern and Southwestern United States, areas of the country where there are large, established Hispanic communities.

About the Campaign

The Folic Acid Miami Campaign, a community based initiative, was developed to empower Latinas in the Miami area to take steps to reduce their risk for having a pregnancy affected by a neural tube birth defect. The Campaign was convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in conjunction with the March of Dimes and the National Council on Folic Acid.

For more ifnormation on Folic Acid and the CD's Program, please follow this link.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protects people’s health and safety by preventing and controlling diseases and injuries; enhances health decisions by providing credible information on critical health issues; and promotes healthy living through strong partnerships with local, national and international organizations.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES