Effect of Parental Anthropometric Measurements on Autism

Izzet Fidancı

Mamak Kibris Family Health Center, Ankara, Turkey

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between parental anthropometric measurements and autism.

Methods: This study was conducted using data of the anthropometric measurements of 334 healthy parents with healthy children diagnosed with autism by the age of 7 years; the parents participated in the study after providing their written consent. The data obtained were statistically analyzed using SPSS v16.0.

Results: The study included 334 parents, 108 (32.3%) of which had children with autism and 226 (67.7%) had children without autism. The main effect of sex was found to be significant on weight (p <0.001) and height (p <0.001). Further, the main effect of having children with autism on waist circumference values (p = 0.001) as well as on hip circumference values (p <0.001) was found to be significant. Moreover, the main effect of having children with autism was found to be significant on body adiposity index values (p = 0.039).

Conclusion: Etiological studies on autism and increased awareness can help avoid delayed and/or skipped diagnosis through screening methods such as genetic or anthropometric measurements. The relationship between environmental factors and autism, including the dietary habits and lifestyle of the parents, remains controversial. Various diseases can be prevented by ensuring the complete physical, mental, and social well-being of the parents for their own health as well as that of their children.