Prevalência da seletividade alimentar em crianças e fatores associados ao Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA) no município de Realeza no sudoeste do Paraná

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of food selectivity and its relationship with socioeconomic and demographic factors in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a city in southwestern Paraná. Method: This is a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study conducted with 38 autistic children of both sexes, aged 2 to 10 years. Socioeconomic and demographic data, as well as the presence of food selectivity and nutritional monitoring, were collected by applying a questionnaire directly to the guardians. The Eating Behavior Assessment Scale was applied to assess food selectivity and rigid behaviors related to eating. Association analyses were performed using Pearson's chi-square test and Fisher's exact test. Significance was considered at p < 0.05. Results: Food selectivity was prevalent in 57.9% of the children, 52.7% of whom did not receive nutritional monitoring. There was a higher prevalence among females (p=0.04). No significant association was found between the other socioeconomic and demographic variables and the presence of food selectivity. An association was found between food selectivity reported by parents and food selectivity assessed by the Labyrinth Scale (p=0.048). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated a high prevalence of food selectivity in children with ASD in the city of Realeza-PR who did not undergo nutritional monitoring, highlighting the need for a nutritionist to improve the quality of life and health of these children.