Factors associated with obesity in adolescents with autistic spectrum disorder: an integrative literature review
International Journal of Development Research
Factors associated with obesity in adolescents with autistic spectrum disorder: an integrative literature review
Received 17th February, 2020; Received in revised form 26th March, 2020; Accepted 18th April, 2020; Published online 30th May, 2020
Copyright © 2020, Ana Carolina Pereira Gomes et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Introduction: Obesity is a reality among adolescents today, and it is no different among those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but with greater representation due to several factors that culminate in this accumulation of fat. Objective: The objective of this study was to identify, through an integrative literature review, the factors associated with obesity in adolescents with ASD. Method: A bibliographic survey of research was carried out that evaluated these factors in the period from 2014 to 2020 at the Virtual Health Library and Pubmed. Results: This review included 13 articles developed in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates, with the main results of the low level of physical activity and the high body mass index of these adolescents. Adolescents with ASD were more likely to increase their body mass index and obesity than adolescents without ASD. Conclusion: Sleep disturbance, physical inactivity, poor eating habits and medication use were associated with increased body mass index and obesity in adolescents with ASD.
