The Relationship Between Cooking and Food Preparation Skills of Mothers with Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Child's Eating Behaviors and Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Abstract

Mothers have an important role in feeding children. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the cooking and food preparation skills of mothers with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and the child's eating behaviors and gastrointestinal symptoms. A significant negative correlation was found between the mothers' total scores on the cooking and food preparation skills and their children's eating behaviors and gastrointestinal symptoms scores. In addition, it was determined that mothers with low scores on the cooking and food preparation skills experienced more eating problems such as food refusal and autism-specific behaviors and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, reflux, diarrhea, indigestion and constipation in their children with autism. It was found that there was a relationship between food preparation and cooking skills of mothers and eating behaviors and gastrointestinal symptoms of their children with autism.