Tennessee has just received a $20,000 March of Dimes Community Grant to promote folic acid education in adolescents. This award was given to the Tennessee Folic Acid Council, and will be administered through Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Health and Human Services.   The project, “Good Health Looks Good:  Folic Acid Every Day – Girl Scouts and Beyond” expands upon previous efforts to educate young women on the importance of folic acid.

Folic acid is a B-vitamin that plays a vital role in the prevention of neural tube birth defects.  Approximately 2500 pregnancies are affected each year in the United States.  It is estimated that 50 percent of neural tube defects could be prevented by ensuring that adequate amounts of folic acid is available three months before conception and the first three months of pregnancy.   

Through the 2007 March of Dimes Community Grant, educational activities promoting folic acid, nutrition, and healthy lifestyles will be offered again to Girl Scouts, and for the first time will be offered to 4-H clubs and/or other community groups and organizations.  As an expansion of previous activities with Girl Scouts, activities specifically designed for Hispanic Girl Scout troops will be offered.

A recent survey and focus groups conducted by the Girl Scouts of America yield broad findings about health, self-esteem, and body image.  The “New Normal? What Girls Say About Healthy Living” combines focus group research with a nationally representative online survey of 8-17 year-old girl.  One of the key findings is that girls have basic knowledge about healthy eating, but often do not act on this knowledge, and many regularly make poor diet and exercise choices.  With the problem-solving activities included in the proposed workshops, these issues can be addressed.  Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, says “If we want to help girls adopt better eating and exercise habits, we need to show them how healthy living will support their emotional well-being today as well as their physical well-being tomorrow.”  This is exactly what the folic acid activities promote. 

Each week in the state of Tennessee, 221 babies are born prematurely.  In 2006-2007, the Tennessee Chapter of the March of Dimes invested more than $1,100,000 in Tennessee for program services, including national research grants, community grants, and local public and professional education. Through these grants, the March of Dimes is seeking ways to prevent birth defects and infant mortality, find the causes of preterm birth, and increase access to prenatal care and educate men and women about having healthy babies.  For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com/tennessee,   the Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org., or givingmatters.com

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org.

For further information or if there are questions regarding the project, please contact Cindy Chafin, Project Director, at 615-612-2989 or at cindychafin@comcast.net.

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