Nutritional Behaviors Among Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Alsajer, Mohammad Ahmed; Assaf, Abir Salem; Tannous, Saer Mourith

doi:10.21608/dsnj.2023.337861

Nutritional Behaviors Among Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of community health nursing-faculty of nursing - Tishreen university Syria

² Department of community health nursing- faculty of nursing - Tishreen university Syria.

³ Department of Adult Nursing - Faculty of Nursing - Tishreen university Syria.

10.21608/dsnj.2023.337861

Abstract

Nutritional issues related to autism spectrum disorder are among the constitutes major concerns among families with autism. The prevalence of eating disorders in children with autism has been reported in previous studies around 46-89%. Aim of the study was to assess the nutritional behaviors among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Material and methods: Research design: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used in the present study. Setting: Data were collected from the Altawahud and Bashaer Al-Nour Associations - Latakia City and Al-Majd Association - Tartous city /Syria. Sampling: the study was conducted on a convenient sample of 55 parents of patients diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Study Tools: Nutritional Behaviors for patients with autism structured questionnaire. It was developed by researcher and consists of two parts; Part 1: demographic data, Part 2: dietary behaviors among patients with autism spectrum disorder. Results of the current study showed that the positive behaviors related to accompanying eating were found in 77.8% of the subjects, followed by excessive selective behaviors towards food in 56.5%, then behaviors after refusing food was found in 53% of the subjects and behaviors associated with eating in 50.5%, then sensory problems came in a ratio of 42.5% of the subjects, while the behaviors that interfere with eating came in 38.8% of them, and finally digestive problems accounted for 36.8% . Conclusion: positive dietary behaviors are found among the majority of the study subjects including enjoying food which comes with the highest mean and negative behaviors that interfere with daily dietary intake were also found including excessive food selecting behaviors which come with the second mean value.

Keywords