Early History, Mealtime Environment, and Parental Views on Mealtime and Eating Behaviors among Children with ASD in Florida

• Main Authors: Heewon L. Gray, Sweta Sinha, Acadia W. Buro, Chantell Robinson, Karen Berkman, Heather Agazzi, Emily Shaffer-Hudkins
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-12-01
• Series: Nutrients
• Subjects: autism spectrum disorder; mealtime behavior; children; diet; feeding behavior
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/12/1867

This study was a cross-sectional study to examine problematic mealtime behaviors among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Florida. Forty-one parents completed a 48-item survey. The mean age of their children was 8.1 years and 73% were male. The data were divided and compared by age group: Ages 2&#8315;6, 7&#8315;11, and 12&#8315;17. Data from the 3- to 6-year-old children were extracted and compared with the references from Provost et al. (2010). There were age differences in eating difficulties at home (<i>p</i> = 0.013), fast food restaurants (<i>p</i> = 0.005), and at regular restaurants (<i>p</i> = 0.016). The total mealtime behavior score was significantly higher in early childhood (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and mid-childhood (<i>p</i> = 0.005) than adolescents. More parents of ages 3&#8315;6 with ASD reported difficulties with breastfeeding (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.01); concerns about eating (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001); difficulties related to mealtime locations (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), craving certain food (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), and being picky eaters (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.01) compared to typically developing children. The total mealtime behavior score was significantly higher in children with ASD than typically developing children (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). The results indicate that early childhood interventions are warranted and further research in adolescents is needed.