| dc.contributor.author | Waswa, J | |
| dc.contributor.author | Imungi, JK | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2014-12-16T14:34:46Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2014-12-16T14:34:46Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2014 | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Waswa J and Imungi JK (2014) Prevalence and Predictors of Geophagy among Adolescent Girls in Likuyani District of Kakamega County. J Food Nutr Disor 3:4. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://scitechnol.com/prevalence-and-predictors-of-geophagy-among-adolescent-girls-in-likuyani-district-of-kakamega-county-X1Jv.pdf | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11295/77698 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Geophagy
is
the
regular
and
deliberate
eating
of
soil
by
humans.
Geophagy
is
a
widespread
practice
in
western
Kenya.
Geophagy
significantly
increases
the
risk
of
infestation
with
Ascaris
,
impair
the
absorption
of
micronutrients
and
cause
micronutrient
deficiency,
particularly
iron.
It
is
estimated
that
approximately
half
of
adolescent
girls
living
in
sub-Saharan
Africa
are
anemic.
Adverse
effects
of
anemia
range
from
severe
morbidity
to
decreased
physical
work
capacity
to
deficits
in
cognitive
development
and
potentially
school
performance.
The
relationship
between
geophagy
with
iron
status
and
anaemia
is
still
obscure,
it
has
not
been
clearly
elucidated
whether
it
is
geophagy
that
causes
iron
deficiency,
or
it
is
iron
deficiency
that
causes
geophagy.
The
objective
of
this
study
was
to
determine
the
prevalence
and
predictors
of
geophagy among adolescent girls.
The
study
was
done
in
secondary
boarding
schools
in
Likuyani
District
of
Kakamega
County,
Kenya.
A
cross
sectional
survey
was done on 302 girls. Random sampling was used to come up
with a representative sample.
The
prevalence
of
geophagy
was
45%.
Predictors
of
geophagy
were
geophagic
mothers/
guardians
and
family
size.
Anemia
was
not
a
significant
predictor
of
geophagy.
Geophagy
is
practiced
for
psychosomatic
reasons
rather
than
nutritional.
In
areas
where
proper
hygiene
is
practiced,
geophagy
may
not
be
a
risk
factor
of
helminthes
infestation.
Primary
nutrition
education
is
needed
to
ensure
a
greater
awareness
of
geophagy and its implications. | en_US |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | University of Nairobi | en_US |
| dc.subject | Adolescent girls; Prevalence; Geophagy; Anemia | en_US |
| dc.title | Prevalence and Predictors of Geophagy among Adolescent Girls in Likuyani District of Kakamega County | en_US |
| dc.type | Article | en_US |
| dc.type.material | en_US | en_US |
