Prevalence of Obesity and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern and is increasingly prevalent in recent years. There are a variety of risk factors for obesity in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To estimate the prevalence of obesity in children with ASD, a secondary data analysis was conducted on the nationally representative National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH; 2011–2012) archival database. Variables specific to ASD as well as body mass index were analyzed using a cross-tabulation analysis to compare a sample of children with ASD with a random control sample. The prevalence of obesity in children with ASD was 12.6% compared with 7.2% of children without ASD. Additionally, 9.3% of children with ASD met criteria for being overweight compared to 7.5% of those without ASD. These findings suggest that children with ASD could benefit from applied behavioral interventions to reduce risk factors for obesity. Specific recommendations for behavior-analytic treatment are discussed as well as recommendations for future research to better understand these risk factors.