Fig. 2

Children with ASD had poorer diets than age-matched TD children (n = 242).^a g/day. ^b Food variety scores ranged from − 12 to 0, with lower scores representing less variety of food. ^c Evaluated using the low bound score (LBS) and diet quality distance (DQD), respectively, with higher scores representing a higher degree of inadequate/unbalanced diets. Adjusted for child’s age, sex, intellectual functioning, birth mode, birth order, average daily sleep duration, maternal educational attainment, gestational diabetes mellitus, maternal obesity, monthly per-capita income, and parenting behavior. Effect size = Cohen’s f² for linear models. ASD: autism spectrum disorder, TD: typically developing, CI: confidence interval