In this dissertation it is examined whether stress, eating behavior, and health are interrelated in young children with ASD and their parents, using an integrated, family-based approach combining questionnaires, physical assessments (BMI, blood pressure, waist circumference), and physiological measures (blood tests, hair cortisol). Parents of young children with ASD report elevated parenting stress, associated with parental mental health problems. Mothers show higher rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome than women from the general population, and maternal stress is associated with disinhibited eating. These patterns are not observed in fathers. Parent and child hair cortisol levels, indicating chronic stress, are positively associated, suggesting shared family stress. Children with ASD have higher obesity rates than their peers, and child BMI relates to food-approach behavior and maternal BMI, indicating contributions of shared environment, genetics, and family dynamics. Children with ASD also show elevated hair cortisol compared to peers. Maternal hair cortisol relates to child behavioral problems and reported parenting stress relates to child autism symptoms and child problem behavior. The findings support family-centered clinical care integrating mental and physical health monitoring, promotes healthy lifestyle, and assessment of parental stress, while highlighting the need for longitudinal research and inclusion of both mothers and fathers.
A.L. van der Lubbe (Thu,) studied this question.