Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
1005583 
Journal Article 
Geophagia in rural Mississippi: Environmental and cultural contexts and nutritional implications 
Vermeer, DE; Frate, DA 
1979 
Yes 
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
ISSN: 0002-9165
EISSN: 1938-3207 
32 
10 
2129-2135 
English 
484531 
WOS:A1979HP72000033 
We investigated geophagia in the black population of rural Holmes County, Mississippi. Twenty-five sources of geophagical clays were located and most of the sources are associated with rural settlements throughout the county. Clays are taken from subsurface soil horizons, and all but one of the sources come from the upland portion of the county. Geophagia occurs among 57% of women and 16% of children of both sexes, but it is not found among adult males or adolescents. Average daily comsumption of clay is 50 g. Our data indicate geophagia is not correlated with hunger, anemia, or helminthic problems, but it may contribute to the common problem of hypertension. Geophagia has been suggested as one of the factors leading to hyperkalemia, but our data do not support this notion. 
anemia, hypertension, hyperkalemia, adolescent, adult, child, hunger, mississippi, soil, geophagia