Olgun GÖKTAŞ
Türkiye Aile Hekimliği Dergisi - 2026;30(3):206-215
Objective: Although folate status has been widely studied, few studies have simultaneously evaluated multiple demographic, behavioral, and clinical factors in a single primary care population. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of folate insufficiency and evaluate the factors associated with this condition using routinely collected primary care data. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study used electronic health records from adults registered at the Uludağ University Family Health Center who underwent serum folate measurement between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2024. All eligible individuals with complete data were included in the final analysis (n = 995). Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 28.00. A two-sided p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 995 participants, 293 (29.4%) were male, and 702 (70.6%) were female; the mean age was 30.23 +/- 12.92 years. Serum folate testing revealed insufficiency in 185 (18.6%) participants. In the multivariable model conducted among female participants, pregnancy complications (adjusted OR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.34-3.60), allergic diseases (adjusted OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.19-3.31), genetic diseases (adjusted OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.29-3.54), cancer (adjusted OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.16-2.72), and non-pregnant status (adjusted OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.11-2.32) were independently associated with folate insufficiency. Conclusion: Pregnancy complications, allergic diseases, genetic diseases, and cancer were associated with higher odds of folate insufficiency, whereas pregnant participants had lower odds than non-pregnant participants. The association with pregnancy status should be interpreted cautiously because data on folic acid supplementation and antenatal follow-up were unavailable. Family physicians should consider targeted folate assessment in patients with pregnancy complications and in individuals with relevant inflammatory, genetic, or oncological conditions.
