An investigation of the relationship between the eating behaviours of children with typical development and autism spectrum disorders and parent attitudes during mealtime eating behaviours and parent attitudes during mealtime

Abstract

Background Nutrition has significant importance in the course of growth and development in early childhood. Selective and fussy eating is prevalent among children with autism spectrum disorder and can have a profound impact on parents' mealtime actions. Aims The study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental mealtime actions and the eating behaviours of children aged 3–5 years with typical development (TD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods A total of 180 parents of children between 3 and 5 years in Ankara participated in the study; 90 were parents of children with TD, and 90 were parents of children with ASD. We measured the variables using the Brief Assessment of Mealtime Behaviour in Children (BAMBIC), Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ), and Parent Mealtime Action Scale (PMAS). Results The results revealed that food refusal, disruptive behaviours, and limited variety in TD children were related to parental actions, such as the use of rewards. We also found a negative correlation between enjoyment of food and the use of rewards. Children with ASD displayed differences concerning food refusal, and their parents were found to prepare more special meals for them compared with children with TD. Conclusion Despite differences, the eating behaviours of children with TD and ASD show similarities in some cases. If a child has a low interest in eating, then their parents tend to be more insistent, use more rewards, and offer special meals. On the contrary, a child's high interest in eating harms such parental behaviours. Because an acknowledgement that a relationship exists between the eating behaviours of children and parental actions would make intervening to shape parental attitudes easier, it is recommended that future studies should be carried out to respond to the eating problems of children by working with parents.

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Disorder (ARFID), Food Neophobia, Other Eating-Related Behaviours and Feeding Practices among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and in Non-Clinical Sample: A Preliminary Study

“…With regard to the first of these areas, it turned out that children from the clinical sample (compared to the non-clinical sample): (a) initially refused to try new foods more often or disliked trying them more, (b) consumed a smaller variety of foods, (c) showed less interest in new food, (d) more often stated that they did not like the food even without trying it, (e) more often asked for something to drink at the meal and drank a lot during the day, (f) ate less when they were angry, tired or sad, and even more so when they were happy. Importantly, partially similar results were obtained by researchers Öz and Bayhan [37]. In the cited studies, children with ASD also had significantly higher levels of fastidiousness than children without this diagnosis; however, no significant differences were found in the desire to drink and emotional undereating [37].…”

“…Other examples may be the lack of autonomy of children in terms of the choice of food, the amount of their consumption and the act of eating, as well as exerting pressure to eat the number of meals that the parents set (without considering the level of hunger and satiety of the child), or the use of food as a reward or emotional state regulator [33][34][35][36]. With reference to these outcomes, other studies looked for a relationship between the eating behaviours of children with ASD and children without this diagnosis, and their parents' feeding practises [37]. This study showed that parental rewards reinforce refusal to eat and reduce meal variety in a non-clinical sample.…”

“…This study showed that parental rewards reinforce refusal to eat and reduce meal variety in a non-clinical sample. In addition, in the group of children with ASD, the use of such practices was negatively correlated with the children's eating pleasure and these children were more likely to refuse food, and their parents paid more attention to preparing special meals for them [37].…”

The Impact of Caregiver Pressure to Eat on Food Neophobia in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Specific methods could be incredibly ineffectual and perhaps worsen kids' maladaptive habits. When parents use food as a reward for an autistic child, it has a negative correlation with the child's enjoyment of eating, and the child is more likely to refuse food [49]. Our research has found that a more severe caregiver pressure strategy was associated with food neophobia in children with ASD.…”

An exploration of eating behaviours and caregiver mealtime actions of children with Tourette syndrome

“…In the ASD literature, research has shown caregivers are more likely to encourage and prompt eating compared to controls which aligns with typical caregiver responses to their children exhibiting food avoidant behaviours ( 9 ). Furthermore, caregivers have been found to prepare more special meals for children with ASD compared to children without ( 20 ).…”