25069
Autism Features and Gender-Specific Eating Behaviour Problems throughout Childhood: The Generation R Study

Friday, May 12, 2017: 12:00 PM-1:40 PM
Golden Gate Ballroom (Marriott Marquis Hotel)
M. van 't Hof1,2,3, W. A. Ester3,4, H. W. Hoek3,5 and H. Tiemeier6,7,8, (1)The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands, (2)Sarr Expert Centre for Autism, Lucertis Child and Adolescence Psychiatry, Rotterdam, Netherlands, (3)Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, The Hague, Netherlands, (4)Sarr Expert Centre for Autism, Lucertis Child- & Adolecent Psychiatry, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Rotterdam, Netherlands, (5)Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands, (6)Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry / Psychology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands, (7)Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands, (8)Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Background: The odds of having eating problems is five time higher for children with autism compared to children without autism [1] and can create medical problems like gastrointestinal dysfunction [2, 3] which is a serious concern for parents [4]. Restricted interests [5], over-sensory and -responsivity to taste, texture and smell of foods [6] may underlie these eating problems. A recent general population study [7] suggests that picky eating is more common in children with autism features. However, it is unknown whether autism features relate to broader eating behaviour problems in the general population.

Objectives:  To examine the relationship between autism features and eating behaviour throughout chilhood in a general population sample.

Methods:  In this subset (N=3066) of the Generation R study [8] we assessed autism features by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at age 3 and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) at age 6. Parental report of eating behavior was assembled at age 4 by the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) and at age 9 with the CEBQ and one scale of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ).

Results:  Per each 1-point increase in autism features at age 3 (CBCL), children scored 0.06 points higher on Emotional Undereating (95%CI: 0.04; 0.08), 0.05 points higher on Food Fussiness (95%CI: 0.03; 0.08), 0.03 points higher on Slow Eating (95%CI: 0.01; 0.05), 0.04 points higher on Emotional Overeating (95%CI: 0.02; 0.06) and 0.02 points lower on Enjoyment of Food (95%CI: -0.04;-0.00) at age 4 in adjusted models. No gender differences were found.

Children scored per 1-point increase in autism features at age 3 years (CBCL), 0.04 points higher on Emotional Undereating (95%CI: 0.01; 0.06) and 0.03 points higher on Emotional Overeating (95%CI: 0.01; 0.05) at 9 years in adjusted models. In girls, autism features related with increased Emotional Overeating at age 9 years, in contrast to boys.

Each 1-point increase in autism features at age 6 years (SRS), associated with a 0.23 points higher score on Emotional Undereating (95%CI: 0.03; 0.43), 0.30 points higher on Emotional Overeating (95%CI: 0.11; 0.50), 0.29 points lower on Enjoyment of Food (95%CI: -0.47; -0.10), and 0.48 points higher on Food Responsiveness (95%CI: 0.29; 0.76) at age 9 in adjusted models. Whereas in girls, autism features associated with increased Emotional Undereating, Emotional Overeating and reduced Enjoyment of Food, this relation was absent in boys.

Conclusions: This study indicates that autism features in the general population are associated with eating behavior problems throughout childhood, thus not only in clinical populations. Early childhood autism features may predispose eating behavior difficulties, especially in girls.

See more of: Epidemiology
See more of: Epidemiology