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Purpose: To investigate public understanding of the importance of folic acid intake in young women aged 18-24 years. Data sources: A written questionnaire designed by the researcher was administered to 138 young women aged 18-24 years attending college or those seeking care in the county health facility. A total of 88 complete questionnaires were used for the data analysis. Conclusions: Young women were not aware of the importance of folic acid, were not taking multivitamins containing folic acid, and were not consuming enough folic acid in their diets. No relationship existed between pregnancy intention and folic acid intake, suggesting that those who were planning a pregnancy in the near future were not consuming adequate amounts of folic acid. Implications for practice: A lack of knowledge regarding the importance of folic acid may lead to poor pregnancy outcomes. Many educational opportunities exist and should be developed in clinics, physician's offices, and classes which involve young women in this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]