Disordered eating behaviours and autistic traits—Are there any associations in nonclinical populations? A systematic review

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to critically review existing literature concerning the possible association between autistic-like behaviours and problematic eating behaviours in nonclinical populations. METHOD: We performed a systematic literature search in three large databases. Studies were included if they assessed any association between a broad range of autistic-like behaviours and problematic eating behaviours in nonclinical samples. RESULTS: Sixteen eligible studies were found covering 3,595 participants in total, including five studies on children/adolescents (n = 685). All studies were cross-sectional, and thus, only concurrent associations could be evaluated. Several autistic-like behaviours were found to be associated with problematic eating behaviours, with the overall "autism spectrum quotient," deficiencies in set-shifting, and theory of mind showing the strongest associations. CONCLUSIONS: The existing literature indicates concurrent associations between specific autistic-like behaviours and problematic eating behaviours in nonclinical samples across ages. Large prospective longitudinal studies are needed for insight into the temporal order of these associations.