Psychological, behavioural and biological factors associated with gastrointestinal symptoms in autistic adults and adults with autistic traits.

This study looked at stomach and gut problems in over 31,000 adults with autism or autism-like traits. It found that people with autism have more gut problems, especially if they also have mental health issues, stress, or don't exercise much. The research suggests doctors should check for these other problems when helping autistic adults with stomach issues.

This large-scale study of 31,185 Dutch adults examined factors associated with gastrointestinal symptoms in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autistic traits. The research found that both diagnosed adults with ASD and those with higher levels of autistic traits experienced increased risk for gastrointestinal symptoms. Key risk factors included psychological problems (psychiatric issues, poor perceived health, chronic stress) and reduced physical activity. Adults with ASD who had psychological problems showed higher gastrointestinal symptom risk compared to those without such problems.

The study emphasizes the importance of healthcare professionals considering psychological and behavioral factors when evaluating gastrointestinal issues in autistic adults.

Healthcare professionals should conduct comprehensive assessments including psychological wellbeing and physical activity levels when evaluating gastrointestinal symptoms in autistic adults. Early identification and management of stress, mental health issues, and physical inactivity may help reduce gastrointestinal problems in this population.

Study type is unclear from the abstract. Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation. Self-reported measures for autism diagnosis and symptoms may introduce bias. Generalizability beyond Dutch population is uncertain.

Little is known about factors related to the increased risk for gastrointestinal symptoms in adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while the negative impact of gastrointestinal symptoms is evident. Especially, the relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms and psychological, behavioural, and biological risk factors in adults with ASD (traits) is unclear. Autistic peer support workers and autism-advocates also emphasised the importance of identifying risk factors, because of the high prevalence of gastrointestinal problems in people with ASD. Therefore, our study investigated which psychological, behavioural, and biological factors are associated with gastrointestinal symptoms in adults with ASD or with autistic traits.

We analysed data from 31,185 adults in the Dutch Lifelines Study. Questionnaires were used to evaluate the presence of an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, autistic traits, gastrointestinal symptoms, psychological and behavioural factors. Biological factors were examined with body measurements. We found that not only adults with ASD but also adults with higher levels of autistic traits were at increased risk for gastrointestinal symptoms.

Adults with ASD who experienced psychological problems (psychiatric problems, worse perceived health, chronic stress) had a higher risk for gastrointestinal symptoms than adults with ASD without these psychological problems. Moreover, adults with higher levels of autistic traits were less physically active, which was also associated with gastrointestinal symptoms. In conclusion, our study highlights the relevance of identifying psychological problems and evaluating physical activity when trying to help adults with ASD or autistic traits and gastrointestinal symptoms. This suggests that healthcare professionals should be more aware of behavioural and psychological risk factors when evaluating gastrointestinal symptoms in adults with ASD (traits).