Characteristics of Pica Behavior among Mothers around Lake Victoria, Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
; 16(14)2019 07 14.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31337101
ABSTRACT
Background:
Pica, the craving and purposeful consumption of nonfoods, is poorly understood. We described the prevalence of pica among women on Mfangano Island, Kenya, and examined sociodemographic and health correlates.Methods:
Our cross-sectional study included 299 pregnant or postpartum women in 2012. We used a 24-h recall to assess pica, defined as consumption of earth (geophagy), charcoal/ash, or raw starches (amylophagy) and built multivariable logistic regression models to examine sociodemographic and health correlates of pica.Results:
Eighty-one women (27.1%) engaged in pica in the previous 24 h, with 59.3% reporting amylophagy and 56.8% reporting geophagy, charcoal, and/or ash consumption. The most common substances consumed were raw cassava (n = 30, 36.6%), odowa, a chalky, soft rock-like earth (n = 21, 25.6%), and soil (n = 17, 20.7%). Geophagy, charcoal, and/or ash consumption was negatively associated with breastfeeding (OR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.18-0.81), and amylophagy was associated with pregnancy (OR = 4.31, 95% CI 1.24-14.96). Pica was more common within one of six study regions (OR = 3.64, 95% CI 1.39-9.51). We found no evidence of an association between food insecurity and pica.Conclusion:
Pica was a common behavior among women, and the prevalence underscores the need to uncover its dietary, environmental, and cultural etiologies.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pica
/
Mothers
Type of study:
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Pregnancy
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
En
Journal:
Int J Environ Res Public Health
Year:
2019
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States