Experiences of geophagy during pregnancy among African migrant women in London: Implications for public health interventions

Madziva, Cathrine, Chinouya, Martha and Njoroge, Kezia (2024) 'Experiences of geophagy during pregnancy among African migrant women in London: Implications for public health interventions'. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, Vol 5, p. 100431.

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Abstract

This study explored African migrant women's clay ingestion experiences during pregnancy against a backdrop of health risks warnings in order, to inform public health interventions by the UK Food Standards Agency and Public Health England, now known as the UK Health Security Agency. An interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA) was utilized, and data were collected with a total of 30 participants through individual in-depth interviews and one focus group discussion. Findings showed clay ingestion is a fluid and widely accepted cultural practice among African communities with most participants having been socialized into ingestion during childhood, through family influences and current social networks in their adulthood. Vomiting, nausea, spitting, appetite challenges, and cravings were cited as the main reasons for clay ingestion during pregnancy. With strong claims regarding its effectiveness, clay was ingested every day by most participants, and at times in large quantities despite the potential health risks. This calls for innovative and culturally sensitive public health interventions starting with the inclusion of clay ingestion health risk messages in maternal health nutrition information within antenatal settings. This can be done as part of multilevel interventions informed by life course approaches, which also consider community health messages and an enabling regulatory policy framework focusing on clay sold for human ingestion.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	WA Public Health > WA 30 Socioeconomic factors in public health (General) WA Public Health > Health Problems of Special Population Groups > WA 309 Women's health WA Public Health > Health Problems of Special Population Groups > WA 310 Maternal welfare WI Digestive System > WI 20 Research (General) WQ Obstetrics > Pregnancy > WQ 200 General works
Faculty: Department:	Education
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2024.100431
SWORD Depositor:	JISC Pubrouter
Depositing User:	JISC Pubrouter
Date Deposited:	22 Apr 2024 12:44
Last Modified:	22 Apr 2024 12:44
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/24363

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