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Review
. 2025 Apr 30:46:1607614.
doi: 10.3389/phrs.2025.1607614. eCollection 2025.

Health Education and Promotion Interventions to Mitigate Geophagic Practise: A Scoping Review

Mohora Feida Malebatja  1 , Moreoagae Bertha Randa  1 , Mathildah Mpata Mokgatle  1 , Oluwafemi Omoniyi Oguntibeju  2
Affiliations
Review

Health Education and Promotion Interventions to Mitigate Geophagic Practise: A Scoping Review

Mohora Feida Malebatja et al. Public Health Rev. .

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to review health education and promotion interventions that will assist in mitigating the practise of geophagy to reduce the potential health risks, mortalities and morbidities that are linked to geophagic practise.

Methods: A scoping review was carried out guided by Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) methodological framework and PRISMA reporting flowchart.

Results: This scoping review found that health education and promotion interventions focusing on geophagy, nutrition, the uptake of iron and folic acid supplements, the potential health risks of geophagy, anaemia risk during pregnancy, oral and intravenous iron therapy and randomised trials are some of the methods that are currently used to prevent and control the practise of geophagy amongst women of reproductive age at antenatal care units, school and community level.

Conclusion: It is concluded that the existing health education and promotion interventions that can assist women of reproductive age to cease the practise of geophagia are not effective. More emphasis should be given to the establishment of health education awareness programmes on the practise of geophagy, nutrition, and iron and folic acids uptake at community level.

Keywords: geophagia; geophagy interventions; health education and promotion; iron deficiency anaemia; women of reproductive age.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they do not have any conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flow diagram of search for, screening of and selection of published research studies (Globally, 2024).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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