Food Consumption and Anthropometric Assessment Survey of Autism Affected Children, Adolescents and, Adults: A Pilot Study

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is referred to a group of complex neuro-developmental disorders, which can be characterized by impairments in social and communication skills as well as repetitive body movements and behaviors. The objective of this study was to examine adequacy of nutrient intake and to determine the scientific nutritional data of ASD individual.

In this cross-sectional study, retrospective analysis of 24-hour recall questionnaire and anthropometric data collected from 32 ASD individuals, aged 9-34 years was done. To this point, the participants' weight/height and calorie were measured using a portable weight/height scale and Harris Benedict Energy Equation, respectively.

According to the findings, 90.62% individuals were carrying more weight than the desire weight. Among different age groups, the highest mean of carbohydrate intake per day was found in the adolescent group with a standard deviation of 212.54 ± 45.45 g. The lowest mean of fat intake per day was found in the child group with a standard deviation of 25.04 ±2.79 g. This study indicated that individuals with ASD had inadequate diets in terms of kilocalories and macronutrients; however, their current body weight was higher than the desirable one.

This study established scientific nutritional data for the future research and evidence-based studies in Bangladesh. Although several factors may influence the nutritional status, calorie intake, and nutrient intake, choosing foods is the first step to improve the health and well-being.