Stress, Eating Behavior and Adverse Health in Parents of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders 2024-02, Vol.54 (2), p.662-672
• Main Authors: van der Lubbe, Anna, Swaab, Hanna, Vermeiren, Robert R. J. M., Ester, Wietske A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder - epidemiology; Autistic children; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Child; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Child and School Psychology; Child, Preschool; Childhood; Children; Down syndrome; Eating behavior; Fathers; Feeding Behavior; Female; Health behavior; Health status; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Maternal stress; Metabolic syndrome; Mothers; Neurosciences; Obesity; Occupational stress; Original Paper; Parental stress; Parenting; Parents; Parents & parenting; Pediatrics; Psychology; Public Health; Stress; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05825-3

Mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience chronic stress and are at risk for adverse health. However, little is known about fathers, especially when their child is in early childhood. Parenting stress, eating behavior and physical health was evaluated in mothers (n = 48) and fathers (n = 43) of young children (3–7 years) with ASD by questionnaires and physical measurements. Mother’s prevalence rates of obesity (39.1%), abdominal obesity (59.6%) and metabolic syndrome (21.6%) were higher than the norm. In fathers, the prevalence rate of clinical parenting stress (33%) was higher than the norm. Parenting stress was positively related to disinhibited eating in mothers, not in fathers. It is crucial to monitor stress and health of parents of children with ASD.