Dietary folate intake and folate status of women following a gluten free diet: a scoping review protocol v1

Objective: To scope the evidence available on the folate status and folate intake of women on a gluten free diet (GFD) and compare this against established reference ranges and recommended intake values. Introduction: Folate is essential for cell division, DNA synthesis and amino acid metabolism. Adequate folate status is important during preconception to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. Individuals following a GFD may be at risk of inadequate folate intake due to the exclusion of fortified grain products. As women represent the majority of GFD followers, this may have health implications in cases of unplanned pregnancy. Inclusion criteria: Eligible studies will include data on females of any age following a GFD and reporting a measurement of folate intake or folate status. There will be no restriction on language or year of publication. Peer-reviewed and grey literature sources will be included. Methods: Following the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines for scoping reviews, a comprehensive search for peer-reviewed literature will be conducted using specified search terms in PubMed, CINAHL Ultimate and Scopus. Other databases (ProQuest, Cochrane Library, Clinical Trials Gov and Google Scholar) will be utilised to search for grey literature. Title and abstract and then full-text screening will occur with additional backwards citation searching. Data extraction will focus on folate status and/or intake and study characteristics. Findings will be discussed in relation to gaps in the literature, adequacy of folate intake and status and implications for folic acid fortification initiatives.