Differences in Mealtime Behaviors, Food Security, and Weight Concerns Between Neurotypical Youth and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

IF 1.3 Q3 EDUCATION, SPECIAL

Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Pub Date : 2023-03-31 DOI:10.1007/s41252-023-00329-2

Mariam Spieler Tahech, Cassie L. Odahowski, Jeanette M. Garcia

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in nutrition-related factors between youth with ASD and NT youth, and to examine the association between ASD diagnosis, sociodemographic factors, and nutrition-related variables with child weight status.

Methods

Data was utilized from the 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health which consisted of items related to children’s health and well-being. Parent-reported variables on dietary behaviors, child weight concerns, mealtime behaviors, and food insecurity were compared between children with ASD and NT youth using chi-square analyses. Logistic regression examined factors related to physician-reported concerns regarding overweight status among youth.

Results

A total of 59,725 including 1,702 (weighted sample of 1,954,261) children with ASD and 58,023 (weighted sample of 70,959,327) NT children were included in the analysis. A greater percentage of parents of children with ASD reported weight-related concerns about their child (p < .001), food insecurity (p < .001), and fewer family meals together (p = .04) compared to parents of NT youth. Results from the regression analysis revealed that the odds of weight concerns for youth with ASD were 2.29 times (95%CI = 1.62-3.25) the odds of weight concerns for NT youth.

Conclusion

Children with ASD experienced more nutrition-related difficulties than NT youth, and an ASD diagnosis was most strongly associated with physician-reported weight concerns compared to other sociodemographic and nutrition-related factors. Future research should further examine the role of food insecurity and family meal frequency on nutritional difficulties and weight status in families of children with ASD.

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神经典型青少年与自闭症谱系障碍青少年在进餐行为、食品安全和体重关注方面的差异

研究目的：本研究旨在探讨ASD青少年和NT青少年在营养相关因素方面的差异，并探讨ASD诊断、社会人口因素和营养相关变量与儿童体重状况之间的关联。研究方法：研究数据来自2019年全国儿童健康调查，其中包括与儿童健康和幸福相关的项目。通过卡方分析比较了ASD儿童和NT青少年的饮食行为、儿童体重问题、进餐行为和食物不安全等家长报告的变量。Logistic 回归分析了与医生报告的青少年超重状况相关的因素。结果共有 59725 名 ASD 儿童（加权样本为 1954261 名）和 58023 名 NT 儿童（加权样本为 70959327 名）参与了分析。与 NT 青少年的父母相比，ASD 儿童的父母中有更高比例的人报告了他们对孩子体重的担忧（p < .001）、食物不安全（p < .001）以及家庭聚餐次数较少（p = .04）。回归分析结果显示，ASD 青少年关注体重问题的几率是 NT 青少年关注体重问题几率的 2.29 倍（95%CI = 1.62-3.25）。未来的研究应进一步探讨食物不安全和家庭进餐频率对 ASD 儿童家庭营养困难和体重状况的影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Social Sciences-Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

CiteScore

2.10

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders publishes high-quality research in the broad area of neurodevelopmental disorders across the lifespan. Study participants may include individuals with:Intellectual and developmental disabilitiesGlobal developmental delayCommunication disordersLanguage disordersSpeech sound disordersChildhood-onset fluency disorders (e.g., stuttering)Social (e.g., pragmatic) communication disordersUnspecified communication disordersAutism spectrum disorder (ASD)Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), specified and unspecifiedSpecific learning disordersMotor disordersDevelopmental coordination disordersStereotypic movement disorderTic disorders, specified and unspecifiedOther neurodevelopmental disorders, specified and unspecifiedPapers may also include studies of participants with neurodegenerative disorders that lead to a decline in intellectual functioning, including Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, corticobasal degeneration, Huntington’s disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy. The journal includes empirical, theoretical and review papers on a large variety of issues, populations, and domains, including but not limited to: diagnosis; incidence and prevalence; and educational, pharmacological, behavioral and cognitive behavioral, mindfulness, and psychosocial interventions across the life span. Animal models of basic research that inform the understanding and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders are also welcomed. The journal is multidisciplinary and multi-theoretical, and encourages research from multiple specialties in the social sciences using quantitative and mixed-method research methodologies.