Characteristics of Pica Behavior among Mothers around Lake Victoria, Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study.
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Abstract | :
: 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. : 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. : 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 ( = 30, 36.6%), odowa, a chalky, soft rock-like earth ( = 21, 25.6%), and soil ( = 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. : Pica was a common behavior among women, and the prevalence underscores the need to uncover its dietary, environmental, and cultural etiologies. |
Year of Publication | :
2019
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Journal | :
International journal of environmental research and public health
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Volume | :
16
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Issue | :
14
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Date Published | :
2019
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ISSN Number | :
1661-7827
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URL | :
http://www.mdpi.com/resolver?pii=ijerph16142510
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DOI | :
10.3390/ijerph16142510
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Short Title | :
Int J Environ Res Public Health
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