(P14-044-23) Comparison of Food Group Intakes Among Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Florida to Dietary Recommendations

Objectives: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at greater risk for poor dietary intake and chronic diseases than neurotypical peers. Understanding disparities in dietary intake is critical for early nutrition intervention. This preliminary study aimed to evaluate and compare the dietary intake of toddlers with ASD to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Methods: Participants included 29 children (15-34 months) clinically diagnosed with ASD. Food records were completed by parents and entered into the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour (ASA24) Dietary Assessment Tool. The percentage of participants that met the recommended daily intake of fruits (F), total vegetables (V), dark green (DGV) and orange or red (ORV) vegetables, total grains (TG), whole grains (WG), dairy (D), and protein foods (P) for a 1,000-calorie pattern was calculated. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 28.0. The mean intake of each food group was analyzed and compared to age-matched dietary recommendations using a one-sample t-test (p-value=0.05).

Results: About 45% of participants met the recommendations of daily F, and 41% met the recommendations for P; 17% reached the recommended daily V; 14% met the recommended intake for DGV; and 7% for ORV. Around 62% met total grain intake, but only 24% met the recommended whole grain intake. Only 28% of participants met the recommended D intake; 31% did not meet half of the recommendations. The mean daily intake of total V, ORV, and WG (p < 0.001) was significantly lower than the recommendation. There was no significant difference between mean intake and the dietary recommendation for F, DGV, TG, P, and D intake (p > 0.05).

Conclusions: This study emphasizes the need to address the dietary patterns and food group intake of young children with ASD to reduce the risk of morbidity. Early nutrition intervention might be beneficial to meet the dietary recommendations and develop balanced eating patterns in toddlers with ASD.

Funding Sources: The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD: Grant# R21HD106182, PI: Gray)