PP014 - THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DIETARY BEHAVIORS AND MUSCLE STRENGTH IN CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

PP014

THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DIETARY BEHAVIORS AND MUSCLE STRENGTH IN CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

B. MERAL^1,*, M. KANGALGIL², E. ABANOZ³, H. Ö. ÇINAR³, A. G. SAY³

¹Department of Pediatric Nursing, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, ²Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, ³Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Türkiye

Rationale: Dietary habits are suggested to play a significant role in the etiology and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Despite known metabolic risks, data regarding the influence of unhealthy diets on body composition and muscle performance are limited. This study aimed to assess dietary patterns, body composition, and muscle strength of children with ADHD. 

Methods: In this case-control study, 96 children aged 6-15 years (ADHD: n = 48, Healthy, n = 48)  were included. Children diagnosed with ADHD according to DSM-5-TR criteria were further assessed via the Turkish version of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children- Present and Lifetime Version to identify the presence of any current and past psychopathology. Dietary behaviors were evaluated using the KIDMED index and the Food Behavior Scale. Anthropometric assessments were performed, and handgrip strength (HGS) was measured.

Results: The mean age of the children was 9.4±2.7 years, and 49% were girls. There was no significant difference between the ADHD and control groups regarding age, sex, weight, height, BMI, and HGS (p>0.05). Children with ADHD showed lower KIDMED scores and less favorable Food Behavior Scale results, indicating unhealthier dietary behaviors compared to their healthy peers (p<0.05). In the ADHD group, KIDMED and Food Behavior Scale scores were associated with oppositional defiant disorder, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and ADHD index scores (p<0.05). There was no association between these dietary patterns and HGS (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Children with ADHD exhibited unhealthier dietary patterns compared to healthy controls, and these poor nutritional behaviors were correlated with increased symptom severity. HGS showed no significant association with either dietary behaviors or ADHD symptom scores.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared