[Periconceptional intake of a folic acid supplement: evaluation of a promotional program].

This study evaluates the efficacy of a regional program promoting periconceptional folic acid intake. Data were collected through a self-administrated questionnaire among 721 (405 for phase I; 316 for phase II) primiparous women. For phase I, 26.1% (CI [Confidence Interval] 95%: 21.9%-30.4%) of respondents took an adequate periconceptional folic acid supplement, whereas this proportion was 31.6% (CI 95%: 26.5%-36.7%) for phase II (p>0.05). For phase I, 62.0% (CI 95%: 57.3%-66.7%) of women recognized the role of folic acid. For phase II, this proportion significantly rose to 70.9% (CI 95%: 65.9%-75.9%). Regional activities promoting periconceptional folic acid intake, if maintained, should be modified to significantly increase the proportion of women taking an adequate amount of folic acid.