The Association Between Autistic Traits and Disordered Eating is Moderated by Sex/Gender and Independent of Anxiety and Depression.
Alana Barnett, Katie Edwards, Rebecca Harper, Elizabeth Evans, Derina Alexander, Mohini Choudhary, Gareth Richards
Author Information
Alana Barnett: School of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, 2.27 Ridley Building 1, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
Katie Edwards: School of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, 2.27 Ridley Building 1, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
Rebecca Harper: School of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, 2.27 Ridley Building 1, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
Elizabeth Evans: School of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, 2.27 Ridley Building 1, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
Derina Alexander: School of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, 2.27 Ridley Building 1, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
Mohini Choudhary: School of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, 2.27 Ridley Building 1, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
Gareth Richards: School of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, 2.27 Ridley Building 1, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK. gareth.richards@ncl.ac.uk. ORCID
Previous studies have reported positive correlations between autistic traits and disordered eating, though it is unclear whether the association is moderated by sex/gender or whether it is independent of anxiety or depression. We present the findings of an online survey of 691 participants who completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26). Following a pre-registered analysis plan, we observed positive correlations between AQ and EAT-26 in males and females, with the association being significantly stronger in females. AQ also remained a significant predictor of EAT-26 when anxiety and depression were controlled for statistically. These findings may be relevant when considering therapeutic interventions in disordered eating populations that exhibit autistic traits.
