Avoidant/Restrictive Food Disorder (ARFID), Food Neophobia, Other Eating-Related Behaviours and Feeding Practices among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and in Non-Clinical Sample: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Previous research shows that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience several difficulties—including those related to eating—and this area of research needs to be explored further. This study had two main objectives: (1) comparison of the clinical (autism spectrum disorder) and non-clinical sample of children in terms of avoidant/restrictive food disorder, food neophobia, other eating-related behaviours and feeding practices; (2) assessment of selected predictors of food neophobia. The final sample included 54 children and parents from the clinical sample (ASD) and 51 from the non-clinical sample. Parents completed: the autism spectrum rating scales (ASRS), the eating disorders in youth questionnaire (EDY-Q), the children food neophobia scale (CFNS), the child eating behaviour questionnaire (CEBQ), the child feeding questionnaire (CFQ), and a socio-demographic survey. Our analysis allowed us to partially confirm the first hypothesis since the clinical sample (vs. the non-clinical group) had significantly higher scores in such variables as (a) avoidant/restrictive food disorder (ARFID), (b) food neophobia, (c) other eating-related behaviours: emotional under-eating, desire to drink, food fussiness, (d) feeding practices: pressure to eat. Moreover, our analysis of predictors of food neophobia in the clinical and non-clinical samples also allowed us to partially confirm the second hypothesis because it turned out that only in the clinical sample (vs. the non-clinical sample) were the predictors significantly associated with food neophobia, but only two of them (food fussiness and selective eating). In conclusion, our study showed that children with ASD (compared to children without this diagnosis) experience increased difficulties in eating behaviours, and their parents present a stronger intensity of the feeding practice based on pressure to eat. This study showed that feeding problems for children in the ASD sample are a significant problem, and it is still worth exploring this area in research.

The Impact of Caregiver Pressure to Eat on Food Neophobia in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Our research has found that a more severe caregiver pressure strategy was associated with food neophobia in children with ASD. This is consistent with previous findings [46,50].…”

“…In addition to this, these children are more sensitive to these properties of food due to their sensory sensitivities and, thus, are pickier about food [45]. In addition to the fact that children with ASD are hypersensitive to stimuli that cause them to be reluctant to accept food, children with ASD may have oral motor deficits that cause constipation and diarrhea problems when they swallow food without chewing, which can lead to the refusal of this type of food [46].…”

Autism Spectrum Disorder and Eating Problems: The Imbalance of Gut Microbiota and the Gut-Brain Axis Hypothesis

“…Progressive research has elucidated the intricate pathways and significant roles of specific gut microbiota and the brain in regulating multiple brain functions, offering potential advancements in the understanding and management of ASD and its associated conditions, thus reinforcing the significance of continuous exploration in this complex biological domain. [2,11,[25][26][27][28][29][30] Sensory sensitivity [5 ,6, 27, 31-33] Food selectivity [4-6, 9, 10, 30, 34-55] Nutritional intake [13,14,21,[56][57][58][59][60][61][62] Diet quality [11,12,29,63,64] Nutritional status [21, [57][58][59][60][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76] Others [2,3,6,11,15,16,19,<...…”

Anthropometric Profile, Overweight/Obesity Prevalence, and Socioeconomic Impact in Moroccan Children Aged 6–12 Years Old with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Firstly, children diagnosed with ASD often experience motor skills challenges that can limit their participation in sports and other physical activities [ 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Additionally, selective eating preferences and sensory difficulties related to food are common in children with ASD [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Furthermore, specific classes of psychotropic medication are potentially implicated in obesity development among these children [ 7 , 16 ].…”