Study on eating habits, tastes, neophobia, preferences, and touch sensitivity in children and adolescents with Autism and without Autism

Evaluation of dietary habits, sensory profile, neophobia, taste, and pressure sensitivity in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Neurotypical individuals

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

REBEC

Registry ID

RBR-10yx95hs

Enrollment

Registered

2026-06-03

Start date

2022-09-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-06-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Interventions

A group of 67 children and adolescents, divided into two groups: with autism (n=36) and without autism (n=31), were selected through random sampling from the Dental Care Center for People with Disabil

Eligibility

Age

5 Years to 16 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Patients diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder; patients aged 5 to 16 years; patients being monitored at the Center for Dental Assistance to People with Disabilities (CAOE)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Non-cooperative patients requiring sedation for clinical evaluation; patients with unstable health status and chronic diseases; patients with blood disorders; patients with active cancer; patients who have received vitamin supplements in the last two months; presence of diseases or disorders that may affect diet and/or physical activity habits (e.g., cystic fibrosis, diabetes, cerebral palsy, chronic gastrointestinal diseases); use of medications that alter appetite such as steroids, atypical antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Expected outcome 1: Differences in food preferences and neophobia are expected between children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and typically developing children; as well as an altered sensory profile;Outcome 1: Greater food neophobia was found in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as assessed by the Food Neophobia Scale. The group with autism (mean = 24.50 ± 8.34) showed greater neophobia than the group without autism (mean = 31.00 ± 8.28). An altered sensory profile was also found in the ASD group as assessed by the Sensory Profile Questionnaire 2 – Children (PS-2), with higher scores indicating an atypical sensory profile	—

Measure

Time frame

Expected outcome 1: Differences in food preferences and neophobia are expected between children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and typically developing children; as well as an altered sensory profile;Outcome 1: Greater food neophobia was found in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as assessed by the Food Neophobia Scale. The group with autism (mean = 24.50 ± 8.34) showed greater neophobia than the group without autism (mean = 31.00 ± 8.28). An altered sensory profile was also found in the ASD group as assessed by the Sensory Profile Questionnaire 2 – Children (PS-2), with higher scores indicating an atypical sensory profile

—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
No secondary outcomes are expected	—

Countries

Contacts

Public ContactKarina Turcio

Faculdade de Odontologia de Araçatuba - UNESP

karina.turcio@unesp.br+55 (18) 3636-3336

Outcome results

None listed

Source: REBEC (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Jun 29, 2026