Abstract:
Background: Geophagia is recognized as a habit of intentional eating of soil and it is type of
pica which is eating of non-nutritive items. It is practiced globally, particularly among African
societies. Geophagy is common among pregnant women and children. A habit might be renders the consumers to geo-helminthic infections, which may have a negative health impacts on
pregnant women and children. The aim of this study was to assess the association of geophagy
with soil-transmitted helminthic infections and their associated risk factors among pregnant
women attending antenatal care at Chiro Town Health Institutions, Eastern Ethiopia.
Methods: An institution based cross-sectional study was carried out from July to September
2022 using convenient sampling technique. Semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect
information on socio-demographic characteristics, risk factors of soil-transmitted helminthes,
and geophagic practice. About hand thump size of stool sample was collected and processed
using direct saline wet mount and Kato-Katz technique. Suspected soil samples were also collected and analyzed using concentration method. All data were entered into Epi Data version
3.1 and exported to SPSS version 26 software for analysis. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and
multivariate logistic regression, and odds ratio were used for data analysis. A P- Value <0.05
at 95% confidence interval was considered as statistically significant.
Results: The overall prevalence of STHs and geophagy among pregnant women was 21.5%
and 16.8%, respectively. A. lumbricoides was the highest prevalent (13.4%) followed by
hookworms (4.7%). Double infections (A. lumbricoides and hookworm) were found in five
study subjects. Ova of Ascaris and hookworms were detected from 15.6 % of soil samples,
which indicates geophagy as risk factor for STHs. Geophagy practice (AOR=2.94[95% CI
1.60-5.39]), hand washing habit before meal (AOR=2.45[95%CI=1.36-4.54]) and eating of
raw vegetables/fruits (AOR=3.15[95%CI=1.52-6.53]) had significant association with STH
infections. On the other hand, being illiterate (AOR= 2.01[95%CI=1.03-3.95]), and daily laborer (AOR=6.82[95%CI=1.76-26.39]) pregnant women were more prone to soil ingestion.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that geophagy is a risk factor for STH infections. Emphasis should be made on regular hand washing and avoiding eating of raw vegetables/fruits
