ArticleThe International journal of eating disorders2024
Prevalence and recurrence of pica behaviors in early childhood within the ALSPAC birth cohort.
Article in The International journal of eating disorders, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Global prevalence of eating disorders in children: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.Italian journal of pediatrics · 2025Pooled it
- Pica, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder and rumination disorder in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review.Journal of eating disorders · 2026Review
- Investigation of Feeding Problems and Their Associated Factors in Children with Developmental Disabilities in Saudi Arabia.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Sensory feeding problems, pica-related behaviors, and sleep habits among children with autism spectrum disorder in palestine: a parent-reported cross-sectional study.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
- Review
- 'Will They Have It Too?' Mothers' Perspectives of Familial Risk for Eating Disorders.Child psychiatry and human development · 2025Article
- Baylisascaris procyonis on the rise in Europe: a comprehensive review and analysis of occurrence data.Parasitology research · 2025Review
- Pica in Childhood: Concurrent and Sequential Psychiatric Comorbidity.The International journal of eating disorders · 2025Article
- Effect of ChatGPT use on eating disorders and body image.World journal of psychiatry · 2025Review
- Whole blood lead concentrations in children undergoing autism assessment in a community paediatric clinic: a retrospective cross-sectional study.BMJ paediatrics open · 2025Article
- The current clinical approach to feeding and eating disorders aimed to increase personalization of management.World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) · 2025Article
- Situational xylophagia from chronic anemia: case report.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Gastroduodenal Obstruction Secondary to Pica-associated Bezoar: A Case Report.Clinical practice and cases in emergency medicine · 2025Article
- Eating behaviour and eating disorders in individuals with rare neurodevelopmental variants: current knowledge and future research directions.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Neurodivergence, intersectionality, and eating disorders: a lived experience-led narrative review.Journal of eating disorders · 2024Review
- Pica is associated with lower willingness to change negative habits of diet and exercise, inadequate lifestyle, and less healthful food consumption in dialysis.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Article
- Determinants of school-going adolescent girls' health and nutritional status in district Malir, Karachi: a baseline cross-sectional study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThe present study examined prevalence and correlates of pica behaviors during childhood using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) study.
methodData on 10,109 caregivers from the ALSPAC study who reported pica behavior at 36, 54, 65, 77, and 115 months on their child were included. Autism was obtained through clinical and education records, while DD was derived from the Denver Developmental Screening Test.
resultsA total of 312 parents (3.08%) reported pica behaviors in their child. Of these, 19.55% reported pica at least at two waves (n = 61). Pica was most common at 36 months (N = 226; 2.29%) and decreased as children aged. A significant association was found between pica and autism at all five waves (p < .001). There was a significant relationship between pica and DD, with individuals with DD more likely to experience pica than those without DD at 36 (p = .01), and 54 (p < .001), 65 (p = .04), 77 (p < .001), and 115 months (p = .006). Exploratory analyses examined pica behaviors with broader eating difficulties and child body mass index. DISCUSSION: This study enhances understanding of childhood pica behaviors, addressing a significant gap in knowledge. Pica occurrence in the general population is poorly understood due to few epidemiological studies. Findings from the present study indicate pica is an uncommon behavior in childhood; however, children with DD or autism may benefit from pica screening and diagnosis between ages 36 and 115 months. Children who exhibit undereating, overeating, and food fussiness may also engage in pica behaviors.
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