O16 Preliminary Efficacy of a Virtual Nutrition Intervention for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at an increased risk of obesity and unhealthy eating behaviors, yet there is a lack of interventions to improve healthy eating and reduce the risk of obesity in this population.This study examined the preliminary efficacy of a virtual implementation of a nutrition intervention for adolescents with ASD aged 12-20 years, measured by differences in pre-/post-intervention means for BMI z-score, fruit and vegetable intake, added sugar intake, and psychosocial determinants of dietary intake.One-group pretest-posttest design was used. Bringing Adolescent Learners with Autism Nutrition and Culinary Education (BALANCE) is an 8-week virtual nutrition intervention for adolescents with ASD based on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Six groups of adolescents with ASD aged 12-20 years (n = 27; group size ranged 2-7) in Tampa, Florida participated.Height and weight were measured via ruler and scale as instructed virtually by the research staff. Food intake was assessed with the Block Kids Food Frequency Questionnaire. SCT psychosocial determinants were examined with a validated instrument. Wilcoxon signed ranked tests were used to compare pre- and post-intervention means for BMI z-score, fruit and vegetable intake, added sugar intake, and SCT determinants.Mean BMI z-score (P = 0.01) and mean added sugar intake (P = 0.026) significantly decreased. There was no significant difference for fruit or vegetable intake. Three of 7 psychosocial determinants of dietary intake significantly improved after the intervention: behavioral strategies (P = 0.010), self-efficacy (P < 0.001), and outcome expectations (P = 0.009).The findings suggest that BALANCE may improve some psychosocial determinants of dietary intake immediately after the 8-week intervention. The results are also promising regarding dietary intake and BMI z-score. Future research should examine efficacy of the intervention compared to a control group and include follow-up measures to detect long-term outcomes of the intervention.