Somali immigrant women’s knowledge of and experiences with folic acid supplement use before and during pregnancy: A qualitative study from Norway

Introduction

Health authorities in many countries recommend that women should take folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy to prevent having babies with neural tube defects. Somali immigrant women in Norway use less folic acid supplements than the recommended amount and subsequently, less than Norwegian-born women.

Objectives

To explore Somali immigrant women’s knowledge of and experiences with using folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy.

Methods

Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews with ten Somali immigrant women in Norway. The participants were recruited and interviewed between September and November 2019. Graneheim and Lundmańs qualitative content analysis was used for data analysis.

Results

Two main themes were developed through the process of analysing the data: 1) Attitudes to life and pregnancy affect how health care advice is met; 2) Understanding the benefits of folic acid is crucial.

Conclusions

The women in this study had varied knowledge about, and experiences with the use of folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy. The findings suggest that the healthcare system needs to adapt the information it provides on folic acid supplementation to target the needs of Somali immigrant women. In line with suggestions from the study participants, information needs to be given in a timely manner, by someone they trust, in their first language, include visual aids, and be offered to all women of childbearing age before their first pregnancy.