ABSTRACT
Chapter 4, titled “Etiology of Geophagia,” is labeled the heart of this book. This chapter is prudently prepared to provide exhaustive, comprehensive, and complete knowledge to the reader concerning various etiological factors that predispose one to the habit of geophagia. The chapter describes these factors in the form of hypotheses accompanied by descriptive and clinical evidence in favor of and against the proposed hypotheses. This chapter is presented in six sections. Section 4.2 is highly detailed to explain the etiological role of micronutrient hunger (deficiency) upon the pathogenesis of geophagia. The section is enriched with descriptive and clinical evidence and critical analysis of the evidence to reach a universal conclusion. Sections 4.3 and 4.4 explain the role of psychological stress and hunger as etiological factors of geophagia. Section 4.5 is intelligently prepared to provide rich data concerning the influence of culture on the habit of geophagia, as culture-bound geophagia is prevalent in the African subcontinent. The explanation in this section is a rich account of literary work that delivers comprehensive knowledge to readers about culture as an etiological factor in geophagia. The next sections, 4.6 and 4.7, furnish a concise overview of the involvement of neuropsychiatric disorders and adaptive behavior in the causation of geophagia among humans.
