Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
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.

PubMed Disclaimer

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

References

    1. Kortei NK, Koryo-Dabrah A, Akonor PT, Manaphraim NYB, Ayim-Akonor M, Boadi NO, et al. Potential Health Risk Assessment of Toxic Metals Contamination in Clay Eaten as pica (Geophagia) Among Pregnant Women of Ho in the Volta Region of Ghana. BMC pregnancy and childbirth (2020) 20(1):160–7. 10.1186/s12884-020-02857-4 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Konlan KD, Abdulai JA, Amoah RM, Doat AR. Practices of pica Among Pregnant Women in a Tertiary Healthcare Facility in Ghana. Nurs Open (2020) 7(3):783–92. 10.1002/nop2.451 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bonglaisin JN, Kunsoan NB, Bonny P, Matchawe C, Tata BN, Nkeunen G, et al. Geophagia: Benefits and Potential Toxicity to Human—A Review. Front Public Health (2022) 10:893831. 10.3389/fpubh.2022.893831 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Madziva C, Chinouya MJ. Clay Ingestion during Pregnancy Among Black African Women in a North London Borough: Understanding Cultural Meanings, Integrating Indigenous and Biomedical Knowledge Systems. Front Sociol (2020) 5:20. 10.3389/fsoc.2020.00020 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Orisakwe OE, Udowelle NA, Azuonwu O, Nkeiruka IZ, Nkereuwem UA, Frazzoli C. Cadmium and Lead in Geophagic Clay Consumed in Southern Nigeria: Health Risk from Such Traditional Nutraceutical. Environ Geochem Health (2020) 42:3865–75. 10.1007/s10653-020-00632-0 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources