title: Prevalence and risk factors for pica during pregnancy in Tehran, Iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pica is an eating disorder characterized by the persistent ingestion of substances that the consumer does not define as food. The exact cause of pica is often unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of pica during pregnancy and its related risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was carried out in health care centers in west of Tehran. Three hundred women were selected by stratified sampling method from the population. Demographic information and characteristics of pica during pregnancy, such as the kind, the onset, duration, frequency and the reasons, and also iron supplementation status before and during pregnancy and kind of infant feeding were collected via interview and questionnaire. The data were analyzed by chi square test and logistic regression in SPSS 16.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of pica among the studied population was 8.33%, and pagophagia (ice and freezer frost) was the most common form of pica which is characterized by the ingestion of non-food substance (76%). Sixty-four percent of women reported practicing pica regularly on a daily basis. In this study, there was significant association between pica practice and education, unwanted pregnancy, pregnancy complications, the levels of economic satisfaction, iron supplementation during pregnancy, kind of infant feeding, and type of delivery. However, there was no significant association between pica and age, employment, pregnancy ranks, the history of abortions or stillbirths, infant sex, and iron supplementation before pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Iron supplementation during pregnancy should be more considered. Also women with low education should be asked concerning pregnancy pica.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
authors.forename: Neda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ezzeddin
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zavoshy
authors.affiliation: Children Growth Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran. mnoroozi@ymail.com.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noroozi
authors.affiliation: Children Growth Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jahanihashemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.|Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Shaghayegh Hadizadeh
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Riseh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D010842:Pica / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Pagophagia; Pica; Pregnancy; Prevalence