("Tany manara"- a clay-like substance consumed by local people pictured above)
Pica
Since 2009, we have been studying the practice of pica by local people. Pica was defined as geophagy (the consumption of earth) or the consumption of other non-food items such as ash, chalk and charcoal. Approximately 85% of interviewees participated in amylophagy, the consumption of raw starches. Pica and amylophagic substances were consumed for a variety of stated reasons, but predominantly for their taste or medicinal properties. This study is unique in that there are very elevated prevalence rates of pica in men, suggesting that researchers should eliminate the methodological gender bias in their survey work of interviewing only women.
(Digging for "tany manara" pictured to the left)
Since 2009, we have been studying the practice of pica by local people. Pica was defined as geophagy (the consumption of earth) or the consumption of other non-food items such as ash, chalk and charcoal. Approximately 85% of interviewees participated in amylophagy, the consumption of raw starches. Pica and amylophagic substances were consumed for a variety of stated reasons, but predominantly for their taste or medicinal properties. This study is unique in that there are very elevated prevalence rates of pica in men, suggesting that researchers should eliminate the methodological gender bias in their survey work of interviewing only women.
(Digging for "tany manara" pictured to the left)
