Moffitt Researcher Receives $50,000 Grant to Study Folic Acid from March of Dimes

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 26 Jan 2005 - 9:00 PST

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Gwendolyn P Quinn, Ph D, member of the Cancer Prevention & Control Program at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, has received a $50,000 grant from the March of Dimes. She will test the impact of a social marketing-based campaign (composed of a health-infomercial and photo novella in Spanish and English) aimed at promoting the use of folic acid before pregnancy among Hispanic women, particularly Mexican women. The campaign is the product of a collaborative effort with the University of South Florida Birth Defects Center (Kimberlea Hauser, M.B.A. and Jaime Frias, M.D.)

The project begins on Jan. 24, which coincides with Folic Acid Awareness Week, Jan. 24 - Jan. 30. Mexican women are at particular risk of giving birth to a child with neural tube defects. However, by taking a daily multi-vitamin containing folic acid prior to conception, they may potentially prevent these defects.

The campaign focuses on maternal and child health, but it has long-term implications for Moffitt populations as folic acid has also increasingly been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer, heart disease and other diseases. Thus, the goal of the campaign is to promote lifelong users of folic acid.

In 2001, the National Cancer Institute awarded Moffitt the status of a Comprehensive Cancer Center in recognition of its excellence in research and contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Additionally, Moffitt is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a prestigious alliance of the country's leading cancer centers, and is listed in the U.S. News & World Report as one of the top cancer hospitals in America. Moffitt's sole mission is to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer.

Jean C. Johnson, Media Relations Specialist
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Moffitt Cancer Center
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Tampa, FL 33612
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