Nutritional Status by Weight for Height and Body Mass Index in Children and Adolescents with Autism

Abstract

Objective :

1) to study nutritional status calculates by weight-for-height and body mass Index (BMI) of the children and adolescents with autism. 2) to compare the different of nutritional status between using weight-for-height criteria and body mass index (BMI) criteria

Material and Method :

The retrospective descriptive study was conducted by reviewed medical record of the weight and height of the children and adolescence with autism in child psychiatric unit of Srinagarind hospital between January 1st to December 30th 2015. Outcome of the study was nutritional status of each children were determine by body weight for height for sex from Thai public health department and body mass index (BMI for age and sex) from WHO criteria, then compared with standard nutritional status by thai children and adolescents form Pediatric Nutrition of Thailand and the Thai Royal collage of pediatricians of Thailand.

Results :

There were 211 patients between 2-18 year old, majority were male. (85.3%). Most of them age between 6-12 year old (48.3%). By BMI criteria were overweight was19.4%, obesity was 25.2%. By using weight for height criteria; overweight was 11.8%, and obesity was 20.4%. BMI criteria are more over weight and obesity than weight for height criteria. Adolescent aged between 15-18 years old had highest incidence of overweight and obesity by both criteria.

Conclusion :

The children and adolescents with autism had high incidence of overweight and obesity than average of thai children and adolescents in both criteria of BMI of WHO and by using weight for height (W/H) of by Thai public health organization. The authors suggest using BMI criteria will be more practical than weight for height.