Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) Symptoms in Adolescent Patients With Disorders of Gut-Brain...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Eating Disorders

Background:

• Disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) share overlapping clinical features.
• Limited research exists on the prevalence of ARFID symptoms in youth diagnosed with DGBI.
• Understanding the clinical presentation of DGBI in adolescents with varying ARFID symptom levels is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of ARFID symptoms in adolescents with DGBI.
• To examine the clinical presentation of DGBI in relation to ARFID symptom severity.
• To analyze associations between ARFID symptoms and gastrointestinal, psychiatric, quality of life, and weight/growth outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional observational study of 38 adolescents (12-17 years) with diagnosed DGBI.
• Participants and caregivers completed the Nine Item ARFID Screen (NIAS).
• Gastrointestinal, psychiatric, quality of life, weight/growth outcomes assessed via questionnaires, anthropometrics, and water load test.

Main Results:

• Clinically significant ARFID symptoms reported by 42% of youth and 55% of caregivers.
• ARFID symptoms associated with more severe GI and psychiatric symptoms, lower quality of life, and poorer weight/growth outcomes.
• Good to excellent agreement between youth and caregiver NIAS reports.

Conclusions:

• ARFID symptoms are prevalent in adolescents with DGBI and correlate with clinical severity.
• This common comorbidity warrants further investigation.
• Development of guidelines for effective co-management of DGBI and ARFID is a priority.