Elsevier

Research in Developmental Disabilities

Volume 30, Issue 1, January–February 2009, Pages 70-76
Research in Developmental Disabilities

The physical status of children with autism in China

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2007.11.001Get rights and content

Abstract

The height, weight and BMI of children with autism was investigated and analyzed to find the physical status of children with autism in China. Three hundred and eighty boys and 49 girls diagnosed with autistic disorder participated. Their parents were interviewed with a questionnaire about general information, and children were evaluated with Childhood Autism Rating Scale, and height and weight were measured. Children with autism had high level height, weight and BMI; the rate of height ≥P75 was less in 6–11 years old group than that in 2–5 years old group in boys and all children. The prevalence of at-risk-for or being overweight was 31.8% and 17.0% in 2–5 years old group, were 37.9% and 21.8% in 6–11 years old group. At-risk-for-overweight/overweight of children with autism had no relationship with their core symptoms, the older age was the only predictor for lower height and at-risk-for-overweight. Prevalence of at-risk-for-overweight and overweight in children with autism was high. Children's height level decreased, and being at-risk-for-overweight increased with age.

Introduction

Autism falls under the broad diagnostic category of Pervasive Developmental Disorders and is marked by impairments in communication, forming relationships/social interaction, and often behavioral control usually appears before the age of 3 years (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). To date, there is no cure for autism. However, there are a number of treatments that can help people with autism and their families lead more normal lives. Because of the clinic symptom characteristic of children with autism, most studies focused on language, psychology and behavior, and paid much less attention to their body growth and nutritional condition.

Some studies reported underweight or propensity for underweight among autism population. Mouridsen, Rich, and Isager (2002), for example examined the height and weight status of 117 young Danish children with autism. They found body mass index (BMI) for males was significantly lower than the age matched reference population but not for females. Bölte, Ozkara, and Poustka (2002) in a related study investigated and analyzed the BMI of 103 participants with autism or Asperger's syndrome. Twenty-eight percent of the male individuals had a BMI in the fifth percentile or below. In a study conducted in Germany, a low BMI was reported in 13 children with Asperger's syndrome (Hebebrand et al., 1997). Lesinskiene, Vilūnaite, and Paskeviciūte (2002) found specific characteristics such as low appetite, narrow range of assortment of preferable dishes, and digestive autonomic nervous system reactions were significantly more common in the autistic group when compared to healthy controls. Physical growth of autistic children was delayed and was accompanied by other problematic behaviors.

Other studies reported high epidemical level of at-risk-for-overweight and overweight among children with autism. A study of 140 Japanese children 7–18 years of age with autism for example revealed that 25% of the children were classified as obese (Sugiyama, 1991). Furthermore, a large study of 20,031 Japanese children and adolescents with mental retardation (6–17 years) that included 413 children with autism, the prevalence of obesity was reported to be 22% in boys and 11% in girls (Takeuchi, 1994); Curtin, Bandini, Perrin, Tybor, and Must (2005) found the overall prevalence of at-risk-for-overweight was 35.7% and prevalence of overweight was 19% among ASD children, when stratified by age, the prevalence of at-risk-for-overweight and overweight appears to be highest in the 12.0–17.9 years old group, differences by age category were not significant.

Children with autism have different dietary pattern and life style from common children. These life style issues affect body growth and nutritional condition. The present study was aimed at extending further our knowledge of the physical status of children with autism with a group of Chinese children with autism.

Section snippets

Participants

We recruited children diagnosed and place in a school for autism (mainly provided Applied Behavior Analysis course) from 1999 to 2006. Excluded from the sample were children with Rett syndrome, Asperger syndrome or other autism spectrum disorders. A final cohort of 380 boys and 49 girls participated in our study. The ratio of males to females was 7.8:1, the children's mean age was 5.1 years (S.D. = 1.7; range = 2–11 years). Table 1 summarizes some of the demographic detail of the children.

All of

Result

The following data from our total sample was obtained; 2.6% height ≤P5, 43.8% height ≥P75, 12.8% height ≥P95; 2.3% weight ≤P5, 47.3% weight ≥P75, 18.6% weight ≥P95; 6.8% BMI ≤P5, 33.6% BMI ≥P85, 18.4% BMI ≥P95. There was no difference on height between boys and girls compared to their norm groups, but rate of height ≥P75 was less in 6–11 years old group than that in 2–5 years old group in boys and all children. As to the weight and BMI of autistic children, no difference between gender and age

Discussion

Children with autism had an average or above average height, weight and BMI. However, the rate of height ≥P75 was less in the 6–11 years old group than that in the 2–5 years old group in boys and total children (including boys and girls). There were serious prevalence of at-risk-for-overweight and overweight in children with autism of our study. The prevalence of at-risk-for-overweight and overweight were 31.8% and 17.0% in 2–5 years old group, were 37.9% and 21.8% in 6–11 years old group.

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