Eating is considered one of the activities of daily living most affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children and adolescents and, therefore, needs to be thoroughly assessed using specific tools. The aim of this scoping review was to describe the most widely used tool to assess diet in children and adolescents with ASD. A search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science and PsycINFO databases. Two authors screened the articles and included all randomized or non-randomized studies published in English or Spanish in the last five years in which the diet of children and adolescents with ASD was assessed. Fifteen studies were included in this review. Mealtime behaviour was the most assessed variable in the included studies (n = 7). Thirteen different assessment tools were identified to evaluate the diet of children and adolescents with ASD, mainly at ages 2–12 (n = 11). The Brief Assessment scale for Mealtime Behavior in Children (BAMBI) and 24-h recalls were the most commonly used dietary assessment tools in the included studies. Our results can help professionals in the selection of an optimal scale to assess diet in children and adolescents with ASD.

Background/Objectives: Our aim was to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for the assessment of usual nutrient and food intakes in children of 18 months old. Methods: We included 103 toddlers aged 18 months from the Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma (NELA) birth cohort study. A 47-item FFQ was administered twice to parents with a 3-month interval. During that period, we also performed three non-consecutive 24 h dietary recalls (24hDRs) and oral mucosa samples for determining the fatty acid profile (glycerophospholipids). We estimated correlation coefficients of reproducibility for nutrient and food group intakes by comparing both FFQs and validity coefficients by comparing nutrient intakes between the second FFQ and the average of the three 24hDRs. We also explored biochemical validity by comparing the intake of fish from the FFQ with the percentage of fatty acids in oral mucosa cells. Results: The average of correlation coefficients for FFQ reproducibility was r = 0.48 for energy-adjusted nutrient intakes (ranging from r = 0.28 for Na to r = 0.62 for Mg and Zn) and r = 0.35 for the intake of energy-adjusted food groups. The average correlation coefficient for FFQ validity on nutrient intakes was r = 0.48, ranging from r = 0.16 for α-carotene to r = 0.75 for vitamin E. We also found a positive correlation between total omega-3 fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid percentages in oral mucosa cells and the intake of total and white fish, r = 0.31 and r = 0.34, respectively. Conclusions: This study shows that our short FFQ demonstrated moderate reproducibility (mean r = 0.48) and validity (mean r = 0.48) for dietary assessment of most nutrients and foods in 18-month-old children in Spain. This FFQ provides an efficient and minimally invasive method for evaluating toddler dietary intake, particularly in Mediterranean contexts.

Background/Objectives: Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) frequently present with feeding challenges that can lead to inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, which can increase their risk of nutritional deficiencies and related health issues. The aim of this scoping review was to describe the main interventions focused on promoting fruit and vegetable consumption in children with NDDs. Methods: Two authors carried out a search strategy in PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, and PsycINFO using the following terms: “autism OR autistic OR asperger OR rett OR pervasive OR disintegrative OR ‘neurodevelopmental disorder’ OR ‘attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity’”; and the outcome (O): “fruit OR vegetable”. We included all randomized or non-randomized studies, published in English or Spanish, which assessed children’s fruit and vegetable consumption. Results: We included seven articles that applied different interventions, such as a mobile health and behavioral modification program (n = 1), repeated food exposure programs (n = 2), a play-based program with parental training (n = 1); the implementation of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet (n = 1); an intensive interdisciplinary mealtime behavioral treatment (n = 1); and restrictive diets (n = 1). Conclusions: Parent-led behavior changes supported by multidisciplinary teams using play, positive reinforcement, and food modification strategies were the main interventions used to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in children with NDDs. This review supports designing evidence-based approaches to improve feeding challenges in this population.

Background/Objectives: A higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has been associated with a lower risk of death in different populations, but this association has been insufficiently investigated in the elderly Spanish population. In this study, we assess the association between adherence to three MedDiet indexes and all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality in a population aged 65 years and older in Spain. Methods: The population included 903 participants from two population-based surveys. Diet was assessed at baseline by using validated food-frequency questionnaires (FFQ). We calculated scores of adherence to the MedDiet for three indexes: alternate Mediterranean Diet Score (aMED), relative Mediterranean Diet Score (rMED) and 17-item energy-restricted Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (erMEDAS). Deaths were ascertained through the National Death Index of Spain and the Mortality Registry in the Valencian Region during a 12 year follow-up period. Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), adjusting for relevant confounders. Results: During the 12 years of follow-up, 403 deaths occurred: 160 due to CVD and 90 to cancer. Compared to participants in the lowest tertile of adherence to aMED, those in the highest tertile showed a 30% lower risk of all-cause mortality, HR = 0.70 (95% CI 0.51–0.96). In addition, per two-point increase in aMED, we observed a 17% lower risk of all-cause mortality, HR = 0.83 (95% CI 0.73–0.95), and a 21% lower risk of CVD mortality, HR = 0.79 (95% CI 0.64–0.99). A 9% lower risk of all-cause mortality was also observed per two-point increase in the rMED score, HR = 0.91 (95% CI 0.84–0.99). Compared to participants in the lowest tertile of adherence to rMED, those in the highest tertile showed evidence of a marginally significant, lower risk of cancer mortality, HR = 0.55 (95% CI 0.29–1.04). No association was observed between the erMEDAS index and mortality for any cause. Conclusions: High adherence to the MedDiet, as measured by aMED and rMED indexes, was associated with lower all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality in an older Mediterranean population after 12 years of follow-up.