IGNOU PB Bsc Nsg.Entrance-2026
Mental Health Nursing
Easy
Craving and eating of uneatable food substances such as chalk and mud is called as:
Appeared in: IGNOU PB Bsc Nsg.Entrance-2026
Explanation
- Pica is an eating disorder characterized by the persistent ingestion of non-nutritive, non-food substances.
- The behavior must last for at least one month and be inappropriate for the person's developmental level (a minimum age of 2 years is suggested for diagnosis).
- Commonly ingested items include chalk, mud, clay (geophagia), soil, ice (pagophagia), and paint chips.
- Pica is often linked to micronutrient deficiencies, such as iron and zinc deficiency, and can lead to serious complications like lead poisoning or intestinal obstruction.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option A: Anorexia Nervosa involves severe restriction of food intake due to an intense fear of gaining weight, not the consumption of non-food items.
- Option B: Binge eating involves consuming large quantities of food in a discrete period, not non-food substances.
- Option D: Bulimia Nervosa involves a cycle of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors (like vomiting or laxative abuse) to prevent weight gain. It does not involve eating non-food items.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Identification of eating disorders based on clinical description as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
- Nurses should assess for pica in patients presenting with unexplained anemia, lead poisoning, or intestinal issues, especially in high-risk populations like children and pregnant women.
- Screening for pica involves asking direct questions about cravings for and consumption of non-food items, as patients may not volunteer this information.
- What if? If a pregnant patient reports only an intense craving for and chewing of ice, the nurse should recognize this as pagophagia, a specific form of pica strongly associated with iron-deficiency anemia, and ensure the patient is screened for anemia.
How to Approach the Question
- First, analyze the question stem to identify the core behavior. The key phrase is 'craving and eating of uneatable food substances like chalk and mud'.
- Next, recall the definitions of the eating disorders listed in the options.
- Compare the described behavior to the definitions. Anorexia, binge eating, and bulimia all relate to the consumption of food and weight control.
- Recognize that 'Pica' is the specific medical term for the compulsive eating of non-nutritive substances.
- Select the option that directly matches the behavior described in the question.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Identification of eating disorders based on clinical description.
- Stem keywords: craving, eating, uneatable food substances, chalk, mud
- Lead-in keywords: is called as
- Negative lead-in flag: false
Question ID
QSqVWrVqVRYBczWSZUEDQ6
Reference Book
E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 517-519
E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 284-286
E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 12251-12253
Practise the full IGNOU PB Bsc Nsg.Entrance-2026
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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