%0 Journal Article
%T Analysis of Dietary Diversity and Nutritional Status in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder in Bangladesh
%A Thabo M. Nkosi
%A Lerato P. Maseko
%A Nomsa Dlamini
%J International Journal of Social and Psychological Aspects of Healthcare
%@ 3108-4818
%D 2022
%V 2
%N 1
%R 10.51847/Ehb9swIcWE
%P 146-154
%X This study aimed to examine differences in dietary diversity and nutritional status between children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and those without ASD. A total of 344 children participated in this cross-sectional investigation, comprising 172 children without ASD recruited from three public schools and 172 children with ASD from six specialized schools in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Multinomial logistic regression was employed to evaluate the relationship between ASD and both nutritional status and dietary diversity in the participants.  

The average age of participants was 7.9 years, with 29.7% being female. Children with ASD showed a greater likelihood of overweight and obesity relative to the non-ASD group (RRR: 2.85, 95% CI 1.28–6.34, p-value 0.011). Dietary diversity was substantially lower among children with ASD compared to those without (RRR: 18.57, 95% CI 4.49–76.77, p-value < 0.001). Daily consumption frequency of foods from starchy roots, sugars, preserves and syrups, meat, fish and eggs, as well as milk and milk products, was significantly reduced in the ASD group compared to the non-ASD group (p-value < 0.05). In contrast, intake of cereals, vegetables and fruits, fats and oils, and beverages was comparable between the two groups. Children with ASD faced elevated risks of overweight and obesity alongside reduced dietary diversity. We suggest conducting comprehensive longitudinal research to investigate the effectiveness of customized interventions for modifying eating behaviors and managing body weight.  
%U https://smerpub.com/article/analysis-of-dietary-diversity-and-nutritional-status-in-children-with-and-without-autism-spectrum-di-5yn5m8fglho2hr2