Public Health Risk Assessment and Prevalence of Geophagy Among Pregnant Women and Children in Calabar, Nigeria

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of parasites associated with geophagy and the public health implications of their  consumption. Edible soil samples were procured from markets, where consumers buy from, and processed for parasite infestation and for heavy metal concentrations. Structured questionnaires were administered to pregnant women and primary school children. The prevalence of geophagy was 63.42% among pregnant women and 47.37% among primary school children. Geophagy increased  significantly with the age of the pregnant women. As the level of education improved, the prevalence of geophagy decreased significantly. The drivers of geophagy among school children were parental income levels and the educational levels of their mothers.
The prevalence of parasite infestation in the edible soil was 21.0%, and was significantly higher on kaolin chalk than on greyish clay. Three parasite species were found in the edible soil samples, and their prevalence rates were Ascaris lumbricoides (15.0%), hookworm (9.0%), and Trichiuris trichiura (7.0%). Geophagy was significantly higher among children in public schools (58.42%) than in private schools (36.32%) (χ²= 5.44; p < 0.05). All indices used to assess of assessing the public health implications of heavy metals such as the Heavy Metal
Evaluation Index (HEI), Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI), Daily Intake of Metal (DIM), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), Hazard Index (HI), and the Health Risk Index (HRI), returned safe verdicts of low contamination, low pollution, low risk for exposed consumers, and low risk unlikely to cause adverse health effects. In conclusion, the heavy metal concentrations may be within the WHOrecommended maximum permissible limits; however, the sustained assault on the environment by anthropogenic activities in the area could raise the  concentrations beyond the safety thresholds. It is recommended that economic empowerment, education and awareness campaigns be deployed for mitigation.