Nine in 10 Vietnamese women see prenatal supplements as beneficial but sceptical of safety

Only 25 per cent of them perceived prenatal supplements as “moderately to completely safe”.

This is according to a study funded by Bayer which looked at how women across Vietnam, Australia, and China perceive the benefits and safety of prenatal supplements.

A total of 1,524 women took part in the online study which specifically collected responses from women who were either preparing to conceive in the next 12 months or were already pregnant. 

The study was conducted between 2021 and 2022, with market research firms IQVIA and fiftyfive5 collecting the data. Findings were published on Frontiers in Global Women's Health.​

Results showed that respondents from China and Australia have a more “balanced” view of the benefits of supplements and its safety.

About four in five (82 per cent) of the Chinese respondents rated pre-natal supplements as being “moderately to highly beneficial”, and 77 per cent rated supplements as “moderately to completely safe”.

While in Australia, 63 per cent and 60 per cent rated prenatal supplements as “moderately to highly beneficial” and “moderately to completely safe” respectively.

The study also looked at the actual number of respondents who took prenatal supplements, their views on the benefits of supplementation on their wellbeing and that of their babies, as well as their trusted source of pregnancy-related knowledge.

Perceived benefits ​

Across the three countries, the respondents tend to perceive supplementation as being more beneficial when taken during pregnancy than when preparing for pregnancy.

Overall, about 60 to 70 per cent of them believe that taking supplements during pregnancy could help the baby grow properly. A breakdown shows that this was the case for 68 per cent of the respondents in China, 67 per cent in Australia, and 56 per cent in Vietnam.

Also, 60 per cent of women from Australia and Vietnam believe that supplementation during pregnancy could help babies become healthier, and this is even more so for the China respondents, with 74 per cent saying so.

In comparison, the perceived benefits of supplementation during the preconception period were lower.  

For example, only about 50 per cent of the respondents believe that supplementation before conception could increase the chances of having a baby.

In this case, Australia ranked the highest with 53 per cent of the respondents believing so, followed by Vietnam at 50 per cent, and China at 46 per cent.

Actual numbers that took supplements​

Across the three countries, less than half of the respondents who were planning or were trying to conceive took supplements.

For example, only 33 per cent of Australian women who were trying to conceive took prenatal multivitamins (PMVs). 

However, the percentage of Australian women taking PMV went up after becoming pregnant, with 52 per cent, 48 per cent, and 63 per cent of them doing so when they were in the first, second, and third trimester respectively.  

A similar trend was also seen among Vietnamese women.

Forty-three per cent of those planning to conceive and 23 per cent of those trying to conceive took PMVs.

However, the figure shot up as they went into later stages of the pregnancy, with 30 per cent, 51 per cent, and 64 per cent taking PMVs during the first, second, and third trimester respectively.

As for the Chinese respondents, 41 per cent and 53 per cent took PMVs when they were planning or trying to conceive respectively.

The percentage of women taking PMVs stayed relatively stable as they got pregnant, with 46 per cent, 42 per cent, and 39 per cent taking PMVs during the first, second, and third trimester respectively.

Based on the results, the researchers pointed out that there were gaps between how consumers perceive the importance of supplementation and healthy eating and whether they have put these into action.

“Although many respondents in both stages reported already making positive changes to their diet, we noted gaps in awareness of specific benefits of healthy eating and prenatal supplementation, and in taking prenatal supplements in the respective stages of preconception and pregnancy.​

“These findings highlight the need to raise women's awareness of preconception- and pregnancy-related nutritional concepts in the three countries to support them in making appropriate health-related decisions/nutritional choices during this critical period,” ​said the researchers.

Trusted sources of information ​

Healthcare professionals were regarded as the most trusted source of health and nutrition related information for matters relating to pregnancy.

China ranked top with 84 per cent regarding healthcare professionals as the most trusted source, followed by Vietnam and Australia, with respectively 77 per cent and 61 per cent of the respondents saying so.

In Australia, 55 per cent of the respondents planning or trying to conceive and 54 per cent of respondents who were already pregnant consulted general practitioners (GPs) for nutritional information and advice.

However, in China and Vietnam, most consulted obstetricians and gynaecologists. 

For example, in China, obstetricians and gynaecologists were the go-to sources for 78 per cent of the respondents who were planning or trying to conceive and 82 per cent of the respondents who were already pregnant.

Source: Frontiers in Global Women's Health​

Real-world insights on nutritional awareness and behaviors among preconception and pregnant women in three Asia Pacific countries​

https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2024.1332555​

Authors: Furness et al  ​