Role of Psychosocial Stress in the Cause of Pica

Abstract

Fifty children with iron deficiency anemia with pica and 50 children with iron deficiency anemia without pica were studied to detail their psychosocial environment. Children in two groups were individually matched for age, sex, socioeconomic class, and degree of anemia. The pica group had significantly greater stress scores (7.6 ± 2.8) as compared to the control group (4.1 + 2.1; t = 5.05; p < 0.001). The stress factors that were significantly associated with pica were maternal deprivation (p < 0.01), child's caretaker other than the mother (p < 0.001), parental separation (p < 0.01), parental attitude of neglect, joint family (p < 0.001), child beating (p < 0.01), too little mother-child inter action (p < 0.01), and too little father-child interaction (p < 0.001). Hence, in the management of pica, a thorough evaluation of the psychosocial setting in which the child lives and an effort to alleviate psychosocial stress are important.