title: Pica and Eating Attitudes: A Study of High-Risk Pregnancies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and determine the association between the occurrence of pica and eating attitudes in women with high-risk pregnancies and to determine the prevalence of pica during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional and prospective 24-month study was conducted with 913 women with high-risk pregnancies. Structured interviews were carried out and the Eating Attitudes Test was applied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pica was diagnosed in 5.7 % of the pregnant women, and its most commonly practiced type was geophagia (57.7 %). The association between pica and signs related to the eating attitudes: "to be considered too thin by others" (p < 0.02), and "to spend too much time thinking about food" (p = 0.05); and the association between pica and the risk of both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (p < 0.01) were statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The absence of validated instruments in the literature for assessing pica reinforces the difficulty of investigating this practice and the need for further studies. Moreover, additional efforts need to focus in the improvement of screening for other eating disorders with obstetric consequences associated with pica and be incorporated into the routine of healthcare professionals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinics Hospital of Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 155 - PAMB - Ground Floor, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil. amandamaihara@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Amanda M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinics Hospital of Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 155 - PAMB - Ground Floor, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil.|Psychology Division, Clinics Hospital of Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gláucia R G
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Benute
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinics Hospital of Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 155 - PAMB - Ground Floor, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roseli M Y
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.affiliation: Psychology Division, Clinics Hospital of Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Niraldo O
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Psychology Division, Clinics Hospital of Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mara C S
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: De Lucia
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinics Hospital of Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 155 - PAMB - Ground Floor, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rossana P V
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Francisco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D010842:Pica / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Eating behaviors; High-risk pregnancies; Pica; Pregnancy