Convergent validity of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Mealtime Behavior Questionnaire

There was a growing interest in difficulties with eating as one of the most problematic symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study is to examine the convergent validity of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Mealtime Behavior Questionnaire (ASD-MBQ) with the Asahide's test for social adjustment skills, the Japanese version of the short version of the sensory profile questionnaire, the Japanese version of the Social Communication Questionnaire, and the Parenting Strain Index in Japanese children with ASD. The final sample contained 294 children who were diagnosed as the ASD based on the DSM-5 criteria, the mean age of children was 10 ± 4 years (range: 3-18 years). The ASD-MBQ is a questionnaire that comprised of 42 items that are classified into five subdomains: selective eating, clumsiness/manners, interest in/concentration on eating, oral-motor function, and overeating. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient revealed that the ASD-MBQ showed the moderate to high correlation coefficient with all four external criteria. Our results in this study supported the sufficient convergent validity in the ASD-MBQ. Therefore, the ASD-MBQ could be a useful tool for research and practice in a wide range of children with ASD aged 3 to 18.