Caracterização do repertório e seletividade alimentar de crianças e adolescentes com transtorno do espectro autista de um município do sul do Brasil.

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts. About one in every 54 children has been identified with autism worldwide. Most of them have some kind of nutritional problem, such as food selectivity, which has been associated with inadequate nutrient intake. Our objective was to evaluate selectivity through food repertoire and characterize the food intake of individuals with ASD. We assessed 113 individuals with ASD between the age of 2 and 19. Among participants, 85% were male and 53.1% were children. All subjects were students at a specialized educational institution in Pelotas, state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. We evaluated food repertoire by counting the variety of food mentioned in three 24-hour recalls, and we considered repertoire limited when it contained less than 20 different foods. The characterization of food consumed was performed according to the NOVA classification system: group 1: in natura or minimally processed foods and culinary ingredients; group 2: processed foods; and group 3: ultra-processed foods. The average food consumption was 17.06±5.05 items, ranging from 7 to 30 items. Most of the sample (70.4%) showed a limited food repertoire. A total of 213 food items were mentioned, of which 48.8% were ultra-processed and 39% were in natura or minimally processed. Most participants presented food selectivity as confirmed by their limited repertoire comprising less than 20 items. Also, they presented a high intake of ultra-processed food.