Estat nutricional en nens/es de població escolar amb Trastorns de l’Espectre de l’Autisme

Identifier:  TDX:3186

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX3186

Authors:  Esteban Figuerola, Patrícia

Abstract:
In order to assess the nutritional status of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and compare it with children with neurotypical development (TD), a representative school sample from the province of Tarragona of children in Nursery Education (3374 children) and Primary Education (3520 children) (EPINED Project) was studied. 79 children with a diagnosis of ASD, 42 children with subclinical ASD and 333 children with TD participated in this study. Five scientific papers were obtained. The systematic review and meta-analysis shows that children with ASD generally have lower intakes compared to TD children, although they are adequate in relation to the recommendations. Secondly, a short food consumption questionnaire for preschoolers was adapted and validated. Thirdly, the food consumption of the school-age sample was studied, observing a similar consumption among diagnoses for a large part of the food groups but with differences in the protein group. In this sense, preschoolers have a significantly lower consumption than other diagnostic groups, being this consumption opposite in school-age children. Children with ASD have higher consumption than recommended and a higher risk of obesity. Fourthly, and in relation to energy intake, macronutrients and micronutrients, no differences are generally obtained among diagnoses, although high inadequacies in certain nutrients are observed. Finally, in the fifth study, school-age children with ASD have higher scores than the DT in BMI, waist circumference, waist/height ratio (WHtR); WHtR has also been associated with cardiovascular risk. In relation to the results of WHtR, there is an association between this and the fact of having ASD and the fact of presenting internalized psychological problems.