Geophagic practice in Mashau Village, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Mashao, Unarine; Ekosse, Georges‐Ivo E.; Odiyo, John O.; Bukalo, Nenita

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06497

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Finally, we need to answer the question of whether humans can practice geophagy safely, in cases where the practice cannot be discontinued (refer to the merits of processing the material before consumption, such as drying, baking, smoking and salting it). In urban areas in particular, health education ( 138 ) should also explain where unpolluted soils can be found, and which areas should be avoided.…”

Section: Suggested Areas For Further Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Current status of research and gaps in knowledge of geophagic practices in Africa

Davies

2023

Front. Nutr.

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This article synthesises current knowledge and identifies research gaps on the still intriguing aspects of the subject of geophagy as practised in Africa. Despite the voluminous research literature that exists on the subject, geophagy in Africa is still a largely misunderstood phenomenon. Although the practice is not confined to any particular age group, race, gender, or geographical region, in Africa it is most commonly recorded among pregnant women and children. Till now, the precise aetiology of geophagy remains obscure; but the practice is thought to have both beneficial effects such as having a role as a nutrient supplement, as well as several demerits. An updated critical review of human geophagy in Africa - with a section on (other) animal geophagy -, highlights several aspects of the practice that need further research. A comprehensive bibliography is assembled, comprising some of the more pertinent and recently published papers (mostly post-dating the year 2005), as well as older seminal works, providing a baseline and robust framework for aiding the search process of Medical Geology researchers and those from allied fields wanting to explore the still poorly understood aspects of geophagy in Africa.

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Section: Suggested Areas For Further Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Current status of research and gaps in knowledge of geophagic practices in Africa

Davies

2023

Front. Nutr.

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“…Kaolin-eating is common in the rural South of the United States, parts of Latin America, Asia and the Middle East ( 9 , 25 , 26 ). It is also common in Sub-Saharan Africa where several cultures especially farmers and nomad settings consume dirt, mainly clay ( 5 , 27 , 28 ) and in Australia during food scarcity ( 29 ). In most cases the habit is common amongst pregnant women.…”

Section: Prevalence Etiology and Management Of Geophagymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies in Kenya ( 4 ) have confirmed these results, with children being the most exposed to geohelminths and trichuriasis ( 27 , 46 ). Also, incidences of death have been known to occur after the excessive consumption of some clay often due to intestinal occlusion or perforation ( 5 , 22 ).…”

Section: Prevalence Etiology and Management Of Geophagymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Commonly referred to as Calabar chalk, ndom, nzu or Calabar stones by some ethnic groups in Nigeria or as mabele by the Lingala people of Congo or by Francophones as craie, poto or argile ( 1 , 2 ) or Calabar chalk in Cameroon, kaolin consumption varies in intensity from one region to the other. It is more common in children than in adults ( 3 , 4 ); in women than in men ( 5 , 6 ); in black race than in white race ( 5 , 7 ); in rural areas than in urban areas ( 5 , 8 , 9 ); and in pregnant women than normal women ( 7 , 10 – 12 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geophagia: Benefits and potential toxicity to human—A review

Bonglaisin

Kunsoan

Bonny

et al. 2022

Front. Public Health

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Geophagy is the habit of consuming clay soil such as chalk or kaolin. Though it is globally practiced, the safety of those involved is yet to be fully established. It is thought to be highly prevalent in pregnant women because of its antinausea or therapeutic effects. This practice is also thought to be provoked by some nutritional needs, but in modern society its etiology is obscure. The mineralogical and chemical compositions of clay may vary from one region to another and even in all form of rocks clay constitutes. Published articles in geophagy indicate lack of adequate investigations into the toxicity of geophagy, though it is globally practiced and more prevalent in Africa (as a continent) or in Africans migrants. Some studies have helped to identify some minerals that are toxic to human if ingested. In most cases, the potential toxicity emphasized by these studies is based on the detection of the presence of these nuisance elements in the geophagic materials. Scientifically, a lot has been done in the light of detection of toxic matter, but more investigations on metabolic studies are still necessary. The variability of clay content with respect to source motivated this review on geophagy and its potential toxicity to human. This review is aimed at bringing out findings that would enable a better understanding of the toxicity potential of geophagy across context and taxa.

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“…This pathological craving and eating of items that are non-nutritive can be harmful to the child and could lead to legal suites against speech therapists and educationists. It is usually unnoticed and under reported ( Mashao et al, 2021). In absence of treatment it could lead to life threatening obesity.…”

Section: Picamentioning

confidence: 99%

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Review of Common challenging behaviors and appropriate intervention strategies

Nyakundi¹,

Wairungu²

2021

IJRISS

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Autism Spectrum Disorder is a triad of disabilities with individuals exhibiting challenges in Social-Communication, repetitive behaviors and restricted activities and interests. Its etiology is not clear but, researchers point at a complex interaction between genetics and environment. There are more boys with ASD than girls at a ratio of 4 boys: 1girl. The disorder has been in an unprecedented rate of increase in the last few decades. Currently 1 in every 59 children has ASD (in USA). One of the greatest concerns by parents, speech therapists and educationists is how to deal with challenging behaviors in learners with ASD. The main aim of this paper is to consolidate research work and expert's opinion on what challenging behaviors entails and as well what intervention strategies exist.To achieve this, an in-depth review of research findings published in renowned journals was done. A qualitative research approach was assumed utilizing Google scholar search engine to search for terms 'Autism Spectrum Disorders' 'challenging behaviors in ASD' and 'intervention strategies for challenging behaviors in ASD'. After this, the authors scanned through the abstracts of the articles to weigh their relevance in achieving the aim of the study. Only those articles that covered the relevant topics in an in-depth manner were considered for review. In this era of inclusive education, it is important that education is given a collaborative multidisciplinary team approach. Teaching learners with ASD or conducting therapy sessions can be difficult when challenging behaviors are exhibited. Behavior analysts are critically important in managing challenging behaviors but unfortunately we do not have enough of them to always be available when need arises. It is important to train related education stakeholders on how toidentify and intervene when challenging behaviors are exhibited. A one 'stop shop' is necessary as provided by this article. Most common challenging behaviors include physical and verbal aggression, elopement, pica, noncompliance, property destruction, self-injury, and incontinence. From the review, contemporary intervention strategies include Applied behavior analyses, use of Picture exchange communication system and Prompting and prompt fading. The bottom line of behavior management entails laying down behavior expectations and positively reinforcing it. Inappropriate behavior cannot change unless an alternative one is introduced and reinforced.

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Geophagic practice in Mashau Village, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Cited by 15 publications

References 32 publications

Current status of research and gaps in knowledge of geophagic practices in Africa

Current status of research and gaps in knowledge of geophagic practices in Africa

Geophagia: Benefits and potential toxicity to human—A review

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Review of Common challenging behaviors and appropriate intervention strategies

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