Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41023321›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2025

Associations Between Screen Time, Sleep Quality, Diet Quality and Food Selectivity Among School-Aged Autistic Children.

Hiu Fei Wendy Wang, Simon S Smith, Martin O'Flaherty, Stewart G Trost, George Thomas, Jacqueline L Walker, Kathryn Fortnum, Sarah McNaughton, John Cairney, Matthew Bourke

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Article in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Hiu Fei Wendy WangHealth and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
Simon S SmithChild Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Martin O'FlahertyHealth and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
Stewart G TrostSchool of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
George ThomasHealth and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
Jacqueline L WalkerHealth and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
Kathryn FortnumHealth and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
Sarah McNaughtonHealth and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
John CairneyHealth and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
Matthew BourkeHealth and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia. matthew.bourke@uq.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7088-4516

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAutistic children are more likely to experience challenges with poor diet quality or selective eating behaviours in comparison to neurotypical peers, which may predispose them to nutrient deficiencies and suboptimal weight status. Thus, it is crucial to identify factors associated with these two unfavourable dietary behaviours in autistic children. This cross-sectional study examined the associations between screen time and sleep quality with diet quality and food selectivity among autistic children, and the extent to which screen time was indirectly associated with diet quality and food selectivity through sleep quality.

methodThe parents of 628 autistic children aged 7-12 years in Australia reported on their child's screen time, sleep quality, diet quality and food selectivity via an online questionnaire.

resultsStructural equation modelling of the hypothesised mediation model revealed significant associations between screen time and sleep disturbances (β = 0.118, 95%CI = 0.032, 0.204, p = .007), and between sleep disturbances with lower diet quality (β = -0.077, 95%CI = -0.153, -0.001, p = .047) and higher food selectivity (β = 0.198, 95%CI = 0.119, p < .001). Sleep disturbances only weakly explained the indirect association between screen time and food selectivity (β = 0.023, 95%CI = 0.004, 0.043, p = .018), whereas the indirect association between screen time and diet quality through sleep disturbances was non-significant (β = -0.009, 95%CI = -0.020, 0.002, p = .110).

conclusionHigher screen time and poor sleep quality emerged as significant factors associated with unfavourable dietary behaviours among autistic children.

Indexed as

ChildrenDiet qualityFood selectivityScreen timeSleep disturbancesSleep quality

Identifiers

PMID41023321

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.