Abstract
Pica, the urge to consume items generally not considered food, such as dirt, raw starch, and ice, are particularly common among pregnant women. However, the biology of pica in pregnancy is not well understood. Therefore, this study aimed to assess how pica relates to endocrine stress and immune biomarkers in a cohort of pregnant Latina women in Southern California. Thirty-four women completed a structured pica questionnaire. Maternal urinary cortisol and plasma cytokine levels were measured between 21 and 31 weeks' gestation. Associations between pica during pregnancy and biomarkers were assessed using linear regression models adjusting for gestational age. Twelve (35.3%) of the pregnant women reported pica (geophagy and amylophagy) during pregnancy. In multivariate models, those who engaged in pica had higher levels of cortisol (β: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.073) and lower levels of IL-1β (β: −0.06, 95% CI: −0.11, −0.02), IL-8 (β: −0.30, 95% CI: −0.56, −0.05), IL-21 (β: −0.35, 95% CI: −0.63, −0.08), and type-1 inflammation composite (β: −0.29, 95% CI: −0.44, −0.14) than women who did not engage in pica. These results suggest that biological stress and immune response differ for women with pica compared to those without. This study suggests novel physiological covariates of pica during pregnancy. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms and temporality underlying the observed associations between pica and endocrine and immune biomarkers.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | e24025 |
| Journal | American Journal of Human Biology |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 2024 |
Funding
The authors deeply thank the study participants and their families as well as the students and volunteers of the MCE study, Kristine Chua, Kotrina Kajokaite, Andrew Mitchel, Valeria Vasquez, Sarah Barney, Andrea (Nichole) Evans, Davis Mai, and Armen Akopyan. The authors also thank the health clinics and staff that made this research possible including Lirona Katzir and the team at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, Karen Roque and the team at UCLA OB/GYN Clinic West Medical, and Karen Lamp and the team at Venice Family Clinic Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center. The authors thank colleagues and collaborators including Lyra S. Johnson, Patricia Greenfield, Gail Greendale, Rachel Brook, Janet P. Pregler, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman, and Chris Dunkel Schetter. This study was funded by NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases K01 DK105110 and R03 DK125524 to M.M.F., and F32 MD015201 to K.S.W., and UCLA Institute of American Cultures Grant to M.M.F. The authors deeply thank the study participants and their families as well as the students and volunteers of the MCE study, Kristine Chua, Kotrina Kajokaite, Andrew Mitchel, Valeria Vasquez, Sarah Barney, Andrea (Nichole) Evans, Davis Mai, and Armen Akopyan. The authors also thank the health clinics and staff that made this research possible including Lirona Katzir and the team at Olive View\u2010UCLA Medical Center, Karen Roque and the team at UCLA OB/GYN Clinic West Medical, and Karen Lamp and the team at Venice Family Clinic Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center. The authors thank colleagues and collaborators including Lyra S. Johnson, Patricia Greenfield, Gail Greendale, Rachel Brook, Janet P. Pregler, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman, and Chris Dunkel Schetter. This study was funded by NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases K01 DK105110 and R03 DK125524 to M.M.F., and F32 MD015201 to K.S.W., and UCLA Institute of American Cultures Grant to M.M.F.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Anatomy
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Anthropology
- Genetics