Dear Editor,
Dr. Bastani has presented an interesting randomizedcontrolled
trial on the effect of nutritional education
on behavioral intention and self-efficacy in women with
focus on iron and folic acid intakes in the J Health Scope
(1). Iron and folic acid deficiencies during gestation are
often associated with poor pregnancy outcomes for both
mother and fetus (2). Although pre-conception counseling
and nutrition education could be an ideal opportunity
to improve maternal daily iron and folic acid intakes
before conception, implementation of this form of preventive
intervention is still lacking in many non-Western
countries, particularly in Iran (3, 4). The one-day nutrition
workshop, involving 8-12 women from the experimental
group (n = 50) in each workshop, was preceded by an individualized
advise session on healthy lifestyle and benefits
of healthy diet. The control group received standard
care (n = 49). The intervention lead to increased behavioral
intention on iron and folic acid intakes among women
planning pregnancy, but did not improve self-efficacy (1).