<Originals> Folic acid intake of female nursing course students according to a dietary habits survey

[Abstract] The relationship between dietary habits and folic acid intake was surveyed using a food frequency questionnaire. The participants were 137 female students in the nursing course in Japan. The average folic acid intake of the 137 participants was 180.7 ±58.0 μg/day. Regarding their current dietary status, the 25 students who replied “Good” had a folic acid intake of 230.1±78.0 μg/ day, and the 80 students who replied “Problematic” had an intake of 164.6±41.8 μg/day. The relationship between the current dietary status and food intake was examined. Regarding the intake of green and yellow vegetables, that of 25 students who replied “Good” was 71.3±42.3 g/day, that of 32 students who replied “Neither good nor problematic” was 50.5±31.9 g/day, and that of 80 students who replied “Problematic” was 38.9±23.5 g/day. Based on the current dietary status reported in the dietary habits survey, students who replied “Good” had a higher intake of folic acid-containing foods than those who replied “Neither good nor problematic” or “Problematic”. Students should be interested in dietary habits. It is important for students to have a good dietary status and the understanding that it is “Good” in order to promote folic acid intake. The present study clarified that the intake of folic acid is influenced by dietary habits.