EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPORTS ACTIVITIES, NUTRITIONALSTATUS AND SLEEP HABITS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUMDISORDER

English (OpenAlex)

This study aimed to assess the influence of sports activities on certain nutritional habits, eating issues, food consumption frequencies, and sleep patterns in children with autism, categorized by age groups. This study was cross-sectional and included 93 children between the ages of 3 and 18 years, divided according to participation in sports activities three days a week within autism sports clubs and associations. The investigation employed various tools, including nutrition habit inquiries, a food consumption frequency questionnaire, and the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) Short Form. The findings revealed that children engaged in sports exhibited a higher consumption rate of egg compared to their non-participant counterparts. Moreover, when examining the sleep patterns of children with autism across different ages, it was observed that non-participating children aged 3–5 years had significantly higher CSHQ scores than their sporting counterparts aged 3–5 (p < 0.05; d = 1.71). This study suggests that involvement in sports activities may serve as a promising strategy for regulating the nutritional intake and sleep patterns of children with autism, thereby potentially enhancing overall sleep quality.