Does food selectivity drive differences in dietary resemblance between children with intellectual disabilities and typical development?

This study looked at how similar children's diets are to their parents' diets. Children with intellectual disability and autism ate much less similarly to their parents (19-22% less) compared to typically developing children. Children with just intellectual disability were mostly similar to their parents, except with fathers. The main reason for these differences was food selectivity - children with autism and intellectual disability refused more foods, which explained why their diets were less like their parents'.

This cross-sectional study examined dietary resemblance between parents and children (3-8 years) across three groups: typical development (TD), intellectual disability (ID), and ID with co-occurring autism (ID+A). Researchers analyzed 100 mother-child and 70 father-child dyads using Food Frequency Questionnaires. Key findings revealed that dietary resemblance was similar between TD and ID children with mothers, but 10% lower with fathers. Children with ID+A showed significantly lower dietary resemblance with both parents (19% lower with mothers, 22% lower with fathers).

Food selectivity (refusal rate) completely explained differences in the ID+A group and partially explained father-child differences in the ID group, suggesting parents of children with ID+A have reduced influence over their child's dietary intake.

Food selectivity interventions may be particularly important for children with autism and intellectual disabilities to improve dietary variety and parental influence. Different approaches may be needed for father-child versus mother-child dietary relationships in families with intellectual disabilities.

Single cross-sectional design limits causal inferences. Sample sizes for subgroups not clearly specified. Study relies on parent-reported dietary data which may introduce bias. Unknown generalizability beyond the specific age range studied.

Although children's dietary intake often resembles that of their parents', dietary resemblance has not been examined among children with intellectual disabilities (ID), where food selectivity is a common parental concern. We compared dietary resemblance in children with typical development (TD), ID, and ID and co-occurring autism (ID + A) in parent-child dyads, and examined whether child food selectivity mediated between-group differences. Dietary data from parents and their children (3-8 years, male = 61.8%, TD = 52.9%, ID = 18.6%, ID + A = 28.4%) were analyzed as mother-child (n = 100) and father-child (n = 70) dyads. Dietary resemblance was operationalized as the proportion of foods that were reported as eaten/not eaten by both parent and child in parent-completed Food Frequency Questionnaires.

Food refusal rate was used to capture food selectivity (total foods children would not eat/total foods offered). Among mother-child dyads, dietary resemblance did not differ between children with ID compared to TD (P = 0.243). Among father-child dyads, dietary resemblance was 10% lower in children with ID than TD (66.4% vs. 74.1%, P = 0.032), and the difference was partially explained (mediated) by food refusal. Among mother-child dyads, dietary resemblance was 19% lower among children with ID + A than TD (61.5% vs. 75.6%, P = 0.001), and the difference was completely explained by food refusal.

Among father-child dyads, dietary resemblance was 22% lower among children with ID + A than TD (57.9% vs. 74.1%, P < 0.001), and the difference was completely explained by food refusal. Subanalyses by food groups produced similar results. Compared to TD children, dietary resemblance was lower in children with ID + A, but not children with ID, and differences were explained by food selectivity. Our findings suggest parents of children with ID + A may have less influence over their child's dietary intake than parents of children with ID or TD.