Adherence to nutritional intervention protocol for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the adherence to nutritional counseling of an individualized nutritional intervention protocol for children and adolescents with autistic spectrum disorder.

Methods: Longitudinal study performed in a clinic for infant nutrition with patients of the autistic spectrum, from 3 to 18 incomplete years old, of both sexes. A questionnaire was carried out to obtain socio demographic data of the family and the patient, weight and height were measured, and nutritional counseling based on 24-hour recall was performed. In a subsequent consultation, a checklist was applied to evaluate the adherence to the orientations regarding the reduction of consumption of marker foods of poor nutritional quality (sweetened drinks; fried foods, packaged snacks, instant noodles, sugars and candies, processed meats and sweet biscuits). The comparison between the frequencies of the orientations performed and those achieved was analyzed through Fisher’s test. An acceptable alpha error of 5% was adopted.

Results: The most frequent orientations were for the reduction of sweetened beverages, frying and processed meats, representing 63%, 28% and 22% respectively. The frequency of adherence to the orientations varied from 50% to 80%, corresponding to 63%, 80% and 88% for fried sweetened drinks and processed meats, respectively.

Conclusion: The rate of adherence to the guidelines proposed in the protocol was satisfactory, showing that a nutritional counseling aimed at adjusting the consumption of food of low nutritional quality may be effective and contribute to the prevention of health problems in individuals of the autistic spectrum.