The influence of pica practice on nutritional status, stress and anxiety of pregnant women

Abstract

Pica is a minor disorder in pregnancy associated with strong craving for food or non -food substances of little or no nutritional value. Objective: The study assesses the characteristics of pica practice among pregnant women and evaluates its influence on the nutritional status, anxiety and stress of pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women attending the antenatal unit of a tertiary care hospital in Chennai, India. Pregnant women took a survey for presence of pica practice. Women with pica practice were assessed for dietary information, haemoglobin, pre-pregnant body mass index and stool analysis. Women's anxiety and stress were assessed using Beck anxiety inventory scale and Lipp Stress Inventory Scale. Results: Out of 739 pregnant women screened, 220 (29.7%) women were found to practice pica. Of the 220 women, 42.2% ingested food substances, 41% ingested non-food substance and 16.8% consumed both. The most common substances craved for were: unripe mango (42.2%), pagophagia (23.8%), ash (41%) and geophagia (19%). Amongst the women with pica, 67.3% women had anaemia, 36% were underweight and 9.5% were overweight. About 40% women had low anxiety, 43% had moderate anxiety and 17% had severe anxiety. Distribution of women based on phases of stress found 15.4% in alert phase, 65% in resistance phase, 1.4% in near exhaustion phase, and 18.2% in exhaustions phase. Conclusion: The study identified that pica practice is not limited to ingestion of edible substances alone. Women practicing pica during pregnancy had anaemia, increased levels of stress and anxiety.

Keywords

• Anemia
• Anxiety
• Pica
• Pregnancy
• Nutritional status
• Stress