An investigation of the diet, exercise, sleep, BMI, and health outcomes of autistic adults.

The study relied on self-report for diet, exercise, sleep, weight, height, health history, and family history, so accuracy depends on participants' recall and reporting. It was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that lifestyle factors caused cardiovascular or diabetic conditions, or that health diagnoses caused lifestyle changes. The online convenience sample was recruited through social media, autism support groups, and charities, and may not represent all autistic adults. The sample was predominantly female, white, UK resident, and educated, with less than 2% self-identified intellectual disability, so findings may not apply to autistic males, non-white adults, those with lower education, or those with intellectual disability. Control participants were recruited in ways that may have included people interested in autism or suspecting they were autistic, which could reduce true group differences. The survey captured only current alcohol frequency and past smoking frequency when smoking most, so it may not fully reflect alcohol or tobacco use. The study may be underpowered to detect all sex differences.

Funders named were Autism Research Trust, Rosetrees Trust (GB), Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Corbin Charitable Trust, Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, National Institute for Health Research, and Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking. The supplied text does not state author conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that unhealthy diet, exercise, or sleep caused higher cardiovascular or diabetic risk in autistic adults. The study is cross-sectional and self-reported, so it cannot test direction or causality, and the diabetic female finding increased after lifestyle adjustment.