Prevalence and associated factors of symptoms of pica among adolescent schoolchildren in northern Sudan: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Pica, the craving for and purposive eating of non-food items, is a common worldwide problem, especially among children and pregnant women. There are few published data on pica among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, and no study has been carried- out in Sudan. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and associated factors of symptoms of pica among adolescent schoolchildren in northern Sudan. Methods: A school‑based cross‑sectional study was conducted from July to September 2022 among adolescent students (aged 10–19 years) in four public primary and secondary schools in Almatamah locality in north Sudan. Sociodemographic information (age, sex, mother's education, mother's occupation, and father's education) was collected through a questionnaire. Weight and height were measured using a standard procedure, and the body mass index Z-score was computed using the World Health Organization's reference values. Logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: Of the 384 enrolled adolescents, 180 (46.9%) were male and 204 (53.1%) were female. Their median (interquartile range) age was 15.1 (13.1‒16.3) years. The prevalence of symptoms of pica was found to be 30.7%, accounting for 118 adolescents. The most common type of pica was geophagia (eating clay and sand; 102 adolescents, 86.4%), followed by pagophagia (eating ice; 14 adolescents, 11.8%) and flour (starch; two adolescents, 1.6%). In the logistic regression analysis, females (adjusted odds ratio = 3.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.15‒5.78) and a lower level of father's education (adjusted odds ratio = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.26‒3.34) were associated with symptoms of pica. Conclusion: In Sudan, symptoms of pica are common among adolescents, especially females. Caregivers need to assess pica in adolescents. Further research is needed to develop guidelines, medical training, and practice. Plain English summary: We conducted this study from July to September 2022 to estimate the rate of adolescents who would eat non-food items (pica) in Sudan. We gathered sociodemographic characteristics through a questionnaire. Of the 384 enrolled adolescents, 180 (46.9%) were male and 204 (53.1%) were female. We found that 118 (30.7%) adolescents would eat non-food items (pica) and that the most common type was eating clay and sand (102 adolescents, 86.4%), followed by eating ice (14 adolescents, 11.8%) and flour (starch; 2 adolescents, 1.6%). Females and those with a lower level of father's education were likely to eat non-food items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]