Dietary diversity and nutritional status of children with and without autism spectrum disorder: a comparative cross-sectional study in Bangladesh

The objective of our study was to compare the dietary diversity and nutritional status of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and non-ASD. We included a total of 344 children in this cross-sectional study; of them,172 non-ASD children from three public schools and 172 ASD children from six special schools in Dhaka, Bangladesh. We used a multinomial logistic regression model to assess the association of ASD with nutritional status and dietary diversity among children. The mean age of the children was 7.9 years; 29.7% were female. ASD children were more likely to be overweight and obese compared to the non-ASD group (RRR: 2.85, 95% CI 1.28–6.34, p-value 0.011). ASD children had lower dietary diversity than non-ASD children (RRR: 18.57, 95% CI 4.49–76.77, p-value < 0.001). Children with ASD had a significantly lower daily frequency of intake of food from starchy roots, sugars, preserves and syrups, meat, fish and eggs, milk and milk products than non-ASD children (p-value < 0.05). However, consumption of cereals, vegetables and fruits, fats and oils, and beverages was almost similar for both groups of children. ASD children had a higher risk of being overweight and obese and a lower dietary diversity. We recommend robust longitudinal studies to explore the role of tailored intervention approaches for dietary behavior modification and weight management.