Diet quality in an ethnically diverse sample of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder compared with nationally representative data

BackgroundChildren with developmental disabilities are at an increased risk of unhealthy eating habits, which may contribute to compromised growth and development. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit unique risk factors for unhealthy dietary patterns, including sensory issues and cognitive rigidity at mealtimes.ObjectiveThis cross-sectional study examined diet quality in a sample of children with ASD in Florida compared to nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009–2014/2013-2014 data using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015).MethodsA 24-h food record was completed by 41 parents of children with ASD aged 2–17 years, and food and beverage items consumed by each child were reported per standardized 24-h recall protocol. Two models were used to compare mean total and component HEI-2015 scores to NHANES means: (1) comparing means for our full sample to published NHANES means for children aged 2–18 years and (2) a matched model with subjects matched 1:1 by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and parent education level.ResultsHEI component scores were significantly lower (poorer) in children with ASD for whole fruit, total vegetables, dairy, total protein foods, and seafood and plant protein. Whole grains, fatty acids, added sugars, and refined grains scores were higher (better) in our sample. However, total HEI scores and HEI scores for all 13 components were similar among children with ASD and the matched cases from the NHANES data.ConclusionsThere are potential discrepancies in diet quality between children with ASD and general population. Further research with a larger sample size, reporting both total and component HEI scores, is needed.