College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL; Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL.
College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.
J Nutr Educ Behav. 2022 Sep;54(9):853-862. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2022.01.008. Epub 2022 Apr 26.
Examine the impact of a virtual nutrition education program, Bringing Adolescent Learners with Autism Nutrition and Culinary Education (BALANCE), on dietary intake and psychosocial determinants of healthy eating in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
A sample of AYA with ASD aged 12-21 years (n = 27; 6 groups of 2-7 adolescents) participated in BALANCE, a Social Cognitive Theory-based intervention, for eight 30-45-minute lessons. Outcomes were compared using a pre-post design and included dietary intake (assessed using a food frequency questionnaire) and psychosocial determinants of healthy eating (assessed by a validated survey). Wilcoxon signed-rank tests compared preintervention and postintervention medians with an alpha level of 0.05.
Mean added sugar intake (P = 0.026) decreased, and behavioral strategies (P = 0.010), self-efficacy (P < 0.001), and outcome expectations (P = 0.009) improved. There was no difference in fruit or vegetable intake or other psychosocial determinants.
The BALANCE intervention may improve psychosocial determinants and dietary behaviors in AYA with ASD. Future virtual programs may incorporate more assistance and support to be accessible for AYA with ASD of varying severity levels.
研究虚拟营养教育计划“为自闭症青少年提供营养和烹饪教育（BALANCE）”对自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）青少年和青年（AYA）饮食摄入和健康饮食的心理社会决定因素的影响。
一项纳入 12-21 岁 ASD AYA（n=27；2-7 名青少年为一组，共 6 组）的样本参与了基于社会认知理论的 BALANCE 干预，共 8 个 30-45 分钟的课程。采用前后设计比较结果，包括饮食摄入（使用食物频率问卷评估）和健康饮食的心理社会决定因素（通过验证的调查评估）。Wilcoxon 符号秩检验比较了干预前后中位数，显著性水平为 0.05。
添加糖的摄入量（P=0.026）减少，行为策略（P=0.010）、自我效能（P < 0.001）和结果预期（P=0.009）改善。水果或蔬菜摄入量或其他心理社会决定因素没有差异。
BALANCE 干预可能改善 ASD AYA 的心理社会决定因素和饮食行为。未来的虚拟计划可以提供更多的帮助和支持，以适应不同严重程度的 ASD AYA。
