Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Prevalence of geophagy and knowledge about its health effects among native Sub-Saharan Africa, Caribbean and South America healthy adults living in France

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Geophagy is widespread among women from Sub-Saharan Africa, South America and the Caribbean and may persist in western countries. This practice may be associated with adverse effects such as anaemia, constipation or intestinal occlusion. We aimed to determine the prevalence of geophagy and the level of knowledge about its health effects among healthy adults originating from these countries and attending a travel medicine and international vaccination consultation in France. Among 101 travellers enrolled in the study, 83 (82.1%) were born in Sub-Saharan Africa and 13 (12.8%) in South America or the Caribbean. The mean duration of residence in France was 15.6 ± 10.4 years. Previous or current geophagy was present in 42 travellers [previous geophagy in 31 (30.7%) and current consumption in 11 (10.9%)]; 38 (90.5%) were women. The rate of awareness of harmful effects of geophagy as the risk of iron-deficient anaemia (18.8%) and soil-transmitted intestinal parasitic infections (11.9%) was low overall. Women with previous or current geophagy more often had history of iron therapy compared to those who never consumed, both during pregnancy (50.0 versus 14.3%; p = 0.0009) and outside pregnancy (47.4 versus 2.8%; p < 0.0001). Despite a long period of residence in France, geophagy was still a current practice among 10.9% of Sub-Saharan, South American and Caribbean travellers, who are poorly informed of its harmful effects. Therefore, specific information tailored to Sub-Saharan, South American and Caribbean about the risks of geophagy should be implemented in western countries.

Level of evidence Level V, descriptive cross-sectional survey.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kawai K, Saathoff E, Antelman G, Msamanga G, Fawzi WW (2009) Geophagy (soil-eating) in relation to Anemia and Helminth infection among HIV-infected pregnant women in Tanzania. Am J Trop Med Hyg 80:36–43 (PMID: 19141837)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Young SL, Khalfan SS, Farag TH et al (2010) Association of pica with anemia and gastrointestinal distress among pregnant women in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Am J Trop Med Hyg 83:144–151. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2010.09-0442

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Njiru H, Elchalal U, Paltiel O (2011) Geophagy during pregnancy in Africa: a literature review. Obstet Gynecol Surv 66:452–459. https://doi.org/10.1097/OGX.0b013e318232a034

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Fawcett EJ, Fawcett JM, Mazmanian D (2016) A meta-analysis of the worldwide prevalence of pica during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Int J Gynaecol Obstet Off Organ Int Fed Gynaecol Obstet 133:277–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.10.012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Huebl L, Leick S, Guettl L, Akello G, Kutalek R (2016) Geophagy in Northern Uganda: perspectives from consumers and clinicians. Am J Trop Med Hyg 95:1440–1449. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.15-0579

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Abu BA, van den Berg VL, Raubenheimer JE, Louw VJ (2017) Pica practices among apparently healthy women and their young children in Ghana. Physiol Behav 177:297–304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.04.012

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Kmiec I, Nguyen Y, Rouger C et al (2017) Factors associated with geophagy and knowledge about its harmful effects among native Sub-Saharan African, Caribbean and French Guiana HIV patients living in Northern France. AIDS Behav 21:3630–3635. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-016-1661-x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Kelly NR, Shank LM, Bakalar JL, Tanofsky-Kraff M (2014) Pediatric feeding and eating disorders: current state of diagnosis and treatment. Curr Psychiatry Rep 16:446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-014-0446-z

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Pain S, Fauconneau B, Bouquet E, Vasse-Terrier L, Pérault-Pochat M-C (2018) Severe craving associated with kaolin consumption. Eat Weight Disord Stud Anorex Bulim Obes. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-018-0583-1. http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s40519-018-0583-1. Accessed 21 Nov 2018

  10. Panichev AM, Seryodkin IV, Kalinkin YN et al (2018) Development of the “rare-earth” hypothesis to explain the reasons of geophagy in Teletskoye Lake are kudurs (Gorny Altai, Russia). Environ Geochem Health 40:1299–1316. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-017-0056-x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Lambert V, Boukhari R, Nacher M et al (2010) Plasma and urinary aluminum concentrations in severely anemic geophagous pregnant women in the Bas Maroni region of French Guiana: a case-control study. Am J Trop Med Hyg 83:1100–1105. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2010.10-0370

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Narayanan SK, Akbar Sherif VS, Babu PR, Nandakumar TK (2008) Intestinal obstruction secondary to a colonic lithobezoar. J Pediatr Surg 43:e9–e10 (PMID: 1928984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Anderson JE, Akmal M, Kittur DS (1991) Surgical complications of pica: report of a case of intestinal obstruction and a review of the literature. Am Surg 57:663–667

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kutalek R, Wewalka G, Gundacker C et al (2010) Geophagy and potential health implications: geohelminths, microbes and heavy metals. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 104:787–795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trstmh.2010.09.002

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Mathee A, Naicker N, Kootbodien T et al (2014) A cross-sectional analytical study of geophagia practices and blood metal concentrations in pregnant women in Johannesburg, South Africa. S Afr Med J S Afr Tydskr Vir Geneeskd 104:568–573. https://doi.org/10.7196/samj.7466

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Nyanza EC, Joseph M, Premji SS, Thomas DS, Mannion C (2014) Geophagy practices and the content of chemical elements in the soil eaten by pregnant women in artisanal and small scale gold mining communities in Tanzania. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-14-144. http://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2393-14-144. Accessed 5 Nov 2018

  17. Msoffe CU, Nyanza EC, Thomas DSK, Jahanpour O, Dewey D (2018) The sources and chemical content of edible soil sticks sold in markets in Tanzania: a cross-sectional analytical study. Environ Geochem Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0185-x. http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10653-018-0185-x. Accessed 5 Nov 2018

  18. Saathoff E, Olsen A, Kvalsvig JD, Geissler PW (2002) Geophagy and its association with geohelminth infection in rural schoolchildren from northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 96:485–490 (PMID: 12474473)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Glickman LT, Camara AO, Glickman NW, McCabe GP (1999) Nematode intestinal parasites of children in rural Guinea, Africa: prevalence and relationship to geophagia. Int J Epidemiol 28:169–174 (PMID: 10195684)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Cassenote AJF, de Lima ARA, Neto JM, Rubinsky-Elefant G (2014) Seroprevalence and modifiable risk factors for Toxocara spp. in Brazilian schoolchildren. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 8:e2830. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002830

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Sulochana SP, Syed M, Chandrasekar DV, Mullangi R, Srinivas NR (2016) Clinical drug–drug pharmacokinetic interaction potential of sucralfate with other drugs: review and perspectives. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet 41:469–503. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13318-016-0335-4

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Hooda PS, Henry CJK, Seyoum TA, Armstrong LDM, Fowler MB (2004) The potential impact of soil ingestion on human mineral nutrition. Sci Total Environ 333:75–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2004.04.023

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Lin JW, Temple L, Trujillo C et al (2015) Pica during pregnancy among Mexican-born women: a formative study. Matern Child Nutr 11:550–558. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12120

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Kettaneh A, Sontag C, Fain O, Eclache V, Thomas M (2001) Perception of pica and its relationship with iron deficiency by hospital physicians in the Paris area. Presse Medicale Paris Fr 1983 30:155–158 (PMID: 11229302)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Mireku MO, Davidson LL, Zoumenou R, Massougbodji A, Cot M, Bodeau-Livinec F (2018) Consequences of prenatal geophagy for maternal prenatal health, risk of childhood geophagy and child psychomotor development. Trop Med Int Health 23:841–849. https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.13088

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Steinbaum L, Swarthout J, Mboya J, Pickering AJ (2017) Following the worms: detection of soil-transmitted Helminth eggs on mothers’ hands and household produce in Rural Kenya. Am J Trop Med Hyg. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.17-0072

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Fiona ECARNOT (EA3920, University Hospital Jean Minjoz and University of Franche-Comté, Besancon, France) for editorial assistance. Perrine DECAUDIN, Lukshe KANAGARATNAM, Moustapha DRAME and F. BANI-SADR designed the study, collected and interpreted the data, and wrote the article. Perrine DECAUDIN, Isabelle KMIEC, Yohan NGUYEN, Delphine LEBRUN, Caroline MIGAULT, Maxime HENTZIEN collected and interpreted the data. All authors contributed to writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version for submission.

Funding

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service de Médecine Interne et des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Reims, 51092, Reims, France

    Perrine Decaudin, Isabelle Kmiec, Yohan Nguyen, Caroline Migault, Delphine Lebrun, Maxime Hentzien & Firouzé Bani-Sadr

  2. Pôle Recherche et Innovations, Unité d’aide méthodologique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Reims, 51092, Reims, France

    Lukshe Kanagaratnam & Moustapha Drame

  3. Unité de nutrition, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Reims, Reims, France

    Eric Bertin

Authors
  1. Perrine Decaudin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lukshe Kanagaratnam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Isabelle Kmiec
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yohan Nguyen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Caroline Migault
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Delphine Lebrun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Maxime Hentzien
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Eric Bertin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Moustapha Drame
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Firouzé Bani-Sadr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Firouzé Bani-Sadr.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Decaudin, P., Kanagaratnam, L., Kmiec, I. et al. Prevalence of geophagy and knowledge about its health effects among native Sub-Saharan Africa, Caribbean and South America healthy adults living in France. Eat Weight Disord 25, 465–469 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-018-0624-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-018-0624-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation