ArticleHeliyon2021
Geophagic practice in Mashau Village, Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Article in Heliyon, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Geophagy as a risk factor for Soil-transmitted helminthic infections among pregnant women attending antenatal care at health institutions in Chiro Town, Eastern Ethiopia.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Observational
- Health Education and Promotion Interventions to Mitigate Geophagic Practise: A Scoping Review.Public health reviews · 2025Review
- Geophagy: uses and perceptions of women of childbearing age in Tshwane District, Gauteng Province-a qualitative study.BMJ public health · 2024Article
- Health-Related Experiences of Geophagia Among Women of Reproductive Age in Tshwane District, Gauteng Province: An Exploratory Qualitative Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Mineral composition and heavy metal risk assesment of selected geophagic soils from Tanzania.Toxicology reports · 2024Article
- Prenatal arsenic and mercury levels among women practicing geophagy in areas with artisanal and small-scale gold mining activities, Northwestern Tanzania.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Article
- Current status of research and gaps in knowledge of geophagic practices in Africa.Frontiers in nutrition · 2022Review
- Geophagia: Benefits and potential toxicity to human-A review.Frontiers in public health · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Large quantities of earth materials are consumed daily in Mashau Village; nonetheless, this practice had not been studied. Furthermore, the motivations for this geophagic behaviour in the study area were unclear. Thus, questionnaires were distributed to 200 participants in the study area with the aim of generating data on the motivations of and potential medical conditions associated to this practice. About 91% of the participants were geophagists, of which 98.5% were female. Craving was found to be the main reason (73.9%) why people of the Mashau communities consume soil. The majority of the geophagists in Mashau craved for the soil upon seeing it (31.2%), during pregnancy (22.5%) and when experiencing sleeplessness (21%). About 60% of the geophagists had chronic illnesses, and they were diagnosed with headaches (31.6%), low haemoglobin level (29.9%), constipation (18.8%), iron deficiency (12.0%) and high blood pressure (7.7%). There is a concern that the soil from the study area may be adversely affecting individuals ingesting these soils. Since females mostly reported practicing geophagia, counselling and education of women and girls would be a useful public health measure. Soil characterisation and beneficiation for healthy geophagic practices should also be carried out at Mashau Village.
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