Initial evidence comparing beverage and snack dietary patterns of children with autism spectrum disorders during school versus summer months

Objectives: Summer represents a window of vulnerability for all children, as they are removed from the structure, routine, and consistency the school months provide. Health behaviors, such as diet, may be impacted by this transition. Whether these patterns exist in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), a high-risk population for poor health outcomes, is unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare beverage and snack dietary patterns of children with ASD during school versus summer months. Methods: A longitudinal observational study compared dietary patterns of children with ASD captured via the Beverage and Snack Questionnaire (BSQ) administered over 14-days during summer and school months. T-tests explored within- and between-subject differences in dietary patterns during school and summer months by age, weight status, and race/ethnicity. Results: Thirteen children with ASD (4 to 9 years old, 69% male, 39% overweight/obese (OWOB), 46% racial/ethnic minority) completed 332 BSQs (174 summer, 158 school). No overall differences were observed during school versus summer. Within- and between-group differences were observed by age (4-to-5 years vs. 7-to-9 years), weight status (OWOB vs. normal weight), and race/ethnicity (minority vs. non-minority) (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Dietary patterns differences exist among small demographic subgroups of children with ASD during school versus summer months. Larger studies in diverse samples incorporating more comprehensive measures of diet are needed to further explore dietary patterns of children with ASD during contextually different times of the year.