This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Youth with autism at greater risk for obesity
Teenagers with autism spectrum disorder were more likely to have a higher rate of obesity than those who were not; this prevalence we not found in children aged 10, according to research published in Childhood Obesity.
“The patterns of prevalence observed with increasing age among children with and without [autism spectrum disorder (ASD)] were unexpected,” Aviva Must, PhD, of department of public health and community medicine, Tufts University, Boston, and colleagues wrote. “A better understanding of the etiological and maintenance factors for obesity in youth with ASD is needed to develop interventions tailored to the specific needs of these children.”
Must and colleagues used weight, height and ASD diagnosis data from the 2011 to 2012 National Survey of Children’s Health to determine associations between associations between age and obesity in children with and without ASD. They also evaluated the effect of sex, ethnicity and household income. The analysis included 43,777 children aged 10 to 17 years.
They found the overall frequency of obesity among children with ASD was significantly higher than among children without ASD 23.1% vs. 14.1%; 95% CI, 3.6-14.4). Age was a significant modifier of this association. Among children aged 10 years, the obesity prevalence was 20% in children with ASD vs. 19.1% in children without; among children aged 17 years, the prevalence was 22.1% vs. 8.3%.
In exploratory analyses, the researchers also found that among children from households with incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level, obesity rate increases were higher among children with ASD. In addition, obesity occurrence increased with age among boys with ASD, but decreased among girls. The odds of obesity increased with age among white non-Hispanic children with ASD, but declined among non-white/Hispanic children.
“[These] analyses suggest that these age-related discrepancies are particularly pronounced in males and may also be greater in nonminority youth and in lower income households,” Must and colleagues wrote. “Given the large disparities in childhood obesity by race/ethnicity observed in typically developing children, it is important to establish whether sociodemographic factors in children with ASD/[developmental disabilities] exert similar effects.”
Researchers suggest that components leading to the high rates of obesity in children with ASD were likely energy expenditure, energy intake or a blend of the two. – by Janel Miller
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.