A 6-year-old child has been diagnosed with pica. Which assessment finding would the nurse expect to be associated with this diagnosis?

Choice A reason: While pica may be associated with iron deficiency anemia, the behavior is not typically driven by concern about anemia. Instead, the ingestion of non-nutritive substances may contribute to or result from nutritional deficiencies. Choice B reason: Pica is characterized by the persistent eating of non-nutritive substances such as paper, dirt, hair, or paint. Eating paper and magazines is a classic example of this behavior and aligns with diagnostic criteria. Choice C reason: Eating regular food items like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches does not meet the criteria for pica. These are nutritive substances and do not reflect abnormal ingestion patterns. Choice D reason: Rechewing and reswallowing food is more consistent with rumination disorder, not pica. Rumination involves regurgitation and reingestion of food, which is a separate diagnosis.