Zulkifli Maizatul Naqiah, Kadar Masne, Hamzaid Nur Hana
Dietetics Programme, Centre for Rehabilitation and Special Needs (iCaRehab), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia.
Department of Dietetics and Food Services, Sungai Buloh Hospital, Ministry of Health, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh 47000, Malaysia.
Children (Basel). 2022 Jun 21;9(7):927. doi: 10.3390/children9070927.
Atypical mealtime behaviours in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been linked with oral sensory hypersensitivity that may contribute to food selectivity and weight issues. This cross-sectional study aims to determine the association between atypical mealtime behaviours and associated risk factors besides exploring the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Malaysian children with ASD in community settings. A total of 150 children with ASD aged 3−11 years participated in this study. A self-administered questionnaire on sociodemographic variables, mealtime behaviours and oral sensory processing was completed by the caregivers. The prevalence of overweight in the study samples was 18.5%, whereas obesity was 20.0%. In a multivariate analysis model, oral sensory processing (B = 0.608, 95% CI = 0.493, 0.722, p < 0.001), severity of autism symptoms (moderate and severe) (B = 2.585, 95% CI = 0.722, 4.448, p = 0.007) and younger children with ASD (B = −0.694, 95% CI = −1.189, −0.199, p = 0.006) were found as independent predictors of atypical mealtime behaviours. Children with ASD aged 3−11 years old have a higher prevalence of being overweight and obese, thus requiring regular anthropometric screening in community settings by relevant healthcare professionals. Furthermore, a relationship was found between oral sensory difficulties and atypical mealtime behaviours in children with ASD. A multidisciplinary approach is crucial in the overall management of food selectivity in this population.
自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)儿童的非典型用餐行为与口腔感觉过敏有关,这可能导致食物选择性和体重问题。这项横断面研究旨在确定非典型用餐行为与相关风险因素之间的关联,同时探索马来西亚社区环境中患有ASD的儿童超重和肥胖的患病率。共有150名3至11岁的ASD儿童参与了这项研究。照顾者完成了一份关于社会人口统计学变量、用餐行为和口腔感觉处理的自填问卷。研究样本中超重患病率为18.5%,肥胖患病率为20.0%。在多变量分析模型中,发现口腔感觉处理(B = 0.608,95% CI = 0.493,0.722,p < 0.001)、自闭症症状严重程度(中度和重度)(B = 2.585,95% CI = 0.722,4.448,p = 0.007)以及年龄较小的ASD儿童(B = -0.694,95% CI = -1.189,-0.199,p = 0.006)是非典型用餐行为的独立预测因素。3至11岁的ASD儿童超重和肥胖的患病率较高,因此需要相关医疗保健专业人员在社区环境中定期进行人体测量筛查。此外,还发现ASD儿童的口腔感觉困难与非典型用餐行为之间存在关联。多学科方法对于该人群食物选择性的整体管理至关重要。