Acadia W Buro1, Heewon L Gray2, Russell S Kirby2, Jennifer Marshall2, Mikaela Strange2, Syed Hasan2, Jamie Holloway3. 1. College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL; Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL. Electronic address: acadia.buro@moffitt.org. 2. College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL. 3. School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Examine the impact of a virtual nutrition education program, Bringing Adolescent Learners with Autism Nutrition and Culinary Education (BALANCE), on dietary intake and psychosocial determinants of healthy eating in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: A sample of AYA with ASD aged 12-21 years (n = 27; 6 groups of 2-7 adolescents) participated in BALANCE, a Social Cognitive Theory-based intervention, for eight 30-45-minute lessons. Outcomes were compared using a pre-post design and included dietary intake (assessed using a food frequency questionnaire) and psychosocial determinants of healthy eating (assessed by a validated survey). Wilcoxon signed-rank tests compared preintervention and postintervention medians with an alpha level of 0.05. RESULTS: Mean added sugar intake (P = 0.026) decreased, and behavioral strategies (P = 0.010), self-efficacy (P < 0.001), and outcome expectations (P = 0.009) improved. There was no difference in fruit or vegetable intake or other psychosocial determinants. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The BALANCE intervention may improve psychosocial determinants and dietary behaviors in AYA with ASD. Future virtual programs may incorporate more assistance and support to be accessible for AYA with ASD of varying severity levels.
OBJECTIVE: Examine the impact of a virtual nutrition education program, Bringing Adolescent Learners with Autism Nutrition and Culinary Education (BALANCE), on dietary intake and psychosocial determinants of healthy eating in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: A sample of AYA with ASD aged 12-21 years (n = 27; 6 groups of 2-7 adolescents) participated in BALANCE, a Social Cognitive Theory-based intervention, for eight 30-45-minute lessons. Outcomes were compared using a pre-post design and included dietary intake (assessed using a food frequency questionnaire) and psychosocial determinants of healthy eating (assessed by a validated survey). Wilcoxon signed-rank tests compared preintervention and postintervention medians with an alpha level of 0.05. RESULTS: Mean added sugar intake (P = 0.026) decreased, and behavioral strategies (P = 0.010), self-efficacy (P < 0.001), and outcome expectations (P = 0.009) improved. There was no difference in fruit or vegetable intake or other psychosocial determinants. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The BALANCE intervention may improve psychosocial determinants and dietary behaviors in AYA with ASD. Future virtual programs may incorporate more assistance and support to be accessible for AYA with ASD of varying severity levels.