The role of food selectivity in the association between child autistic traits and constipation
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: This study examines the association between child autistic traits and constipation symptoms, and explores whether this association is mediated by food selectivity. METHOD: The sample included participants (N = 2,818) from the population-based birth cohort, Generation R (Rotterdam, the Netherlands). Parents reported their child's autistic traits at 6 years (using the Social Responsiveness Scale), food selectivity at 10 years (using the Stanford Feeding Questionnaire) and the frequency and severity of constipation symptoms they experienced at 10 years (using the ROME III functional constipation diagnostic criteria). Mediation analyses tested mediation through food selectivity in the association of autistic traits and the number of constipation symptoms, adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: There was a positive association between parent-reported child autistic traits and constipation symptoms (r = 0.08, p < .001). We identified a significant indirect effect of autistic traits on constipation symptoms through food selectivity (β = 0.008, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.002, 0.014). DISCUSSION: This study provides empirical support for the mediating role of food selectivity in the association between autistic traits and constipation. Behavioral interventions aimed to target food selectivity and support families of children with autistic traits may bolster conventional medical and nutritional treatments to alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms like constipation.
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The evaluation and management of symptoms and GID are relevant in the treatment of ASD, because a close relationship is observed between the progressive worsening of behavior and cognition with the severity of GI symptoms.
“The evaluation and management of symptoms and GID are relevant in the treatment of ASD, because a close relationship is observed between the progressive worsening of behavior and cognition with the severity of GI symptoms [66].”
From Food Selectivity and Its Implications Associated with Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (2022) · cites this paper as [66]
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- Authors
- Harris, H. A., Micali, N., Moll, H. A., van Berckelaer‐Onnes, I., Hillegers, M., & Jansen, P. W.
- Affiliations
- Erasmus MC (NL)
- University of Geneva (CH)
- Erasmus Medical Center, Sophia Children's Hospital Department of General Pediatrics Rotterdam Netherlands
- Leiden University Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies Leiden Netherlands
- Corresponding author
- Jansen, Pauline W.
- Venue
- International Journal of Eating Disorders
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2021-02-17
- Volume
- 54
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 981-985
- ISSN
- 0276-3478 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-108X
- PMC
- PMC8248436
- OpenAlex
- W3133211460
- Cited by
- 34
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3
- FWCI
- 4.12
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- International Journal of Eating Disorders (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- RePub (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Erasmus Medisch Centrum
- Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
- H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (707404)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Gastroenterology › Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Keywords
- autistic traits, constipation, picky eating, mediation, children, gastrointestinal symptoms, feeding behavior, autism spectrum disorder, Generation R cohort
- MeSH terms
- Autistic Disorder, Child, Constipation, Gastrointestinal Diseases, Humans, Netherlands, Parents
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