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Linking soils and human health: geospatial analysis of ground-sampled soil data in relation to community-level podoconiosis data in North West Cameroon

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Version 2 2023-06-12, 09:35
Version 1 2023-06-09, 22:06
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 09:35 authored by H Gislam, N G Burnside, M Brolly, Kebede Kassaye, Gail DaveyGail Davey, S Wanji, C E Suh, S J Kemp, M J Watts, J S Le Blond
Background Podoconiosis is a form of leg swelling, which arises when individuals are exposed over time to red clay soil formed from alkaline volcanic rock. The exact causal agent of the disease is unknown. This study investigates associations between podoconiosis disease data and ground-sampled soil data from North West Cameroon. Methods The mineralogy and elemental concentrations were measured in the soil samples and the data were spatially interpolated. Mean soil values were calculated from a 3 km buffer region around the prevalence data points to perform statistical analysis. Analysis included Spearman's rho correlation, binary logistic regression and principal component analysis (PCA). Results Six elements, barium, beryllium, potassium, rubidium, strontium and thallium, as well as two minerals, potassium feldspar and quartz, were identified as statistically related to podoconiosis. PCA did not show distinct separation between the spatial locations with or without recorded cases of podoconiosis, indicating that other factors such as shoe-wearing behaviour and genetics may significantly influence podoconiosis occurrence and prevalence in North West Cameroon. Conclusion Several soil variables were statistically significantly related to podoconiosis. To further the current study, future investigations will look at the inflammatory pathway response of cells after exposure to these variables.

Funding

Wellcome Trust - Brighton and Sussex Centre for Global Health Research; G1224; WELLCOME TRUST; 100715/Z/12/Z

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

ISSN

0035-9203

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Issue

12

Volume

114

Page range

937-946

Department affiliated with

  • Global Health and Infection Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2020-11-10

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2021-01-15

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2020-11-12

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