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Examining Gastrointestinal, Feeding, Sleep, and Anxiety-Related Disorders Among Autistic Pediatric Patients

Rachel Carroll1, April A Braswell2, Anka Roberto2

  • 1Rachel Carroll, Human Services Division, American Institutes for Research, Arlington, VA.

Journal of Pediatric Health Care : Official Publication of National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates & Practitioners
|February 27, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Autistic children and adolescents show higher rates of gastrointestinal, feeding, sleep, and anxiety disorders. These findings emphasize the need for integrated physical and mental health screenings in pediatric care.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Mental Health

Background:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is associated with various co-occurring conditions.
  • Understanding the prevalence of physical and mental health disorders in autistic youth is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal, feeding, sleep, and anxiety-related disorders in autistic versus nonautistic children and adolescents.
  • To control for social and environmental factors in the analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a large health information exchange dataset from Southeastern North Carolina (>3 million patients).
  • Employed statistical analyses including chi-squared tests, two-sample t-tests, and multivariate logistic regressions.
  • Examined autism status as the primary variable of interest.

Main Results:

  • Autistic children and adolescents were significantly more likely to experience gastrointestinal, feeding, sleep, and anxiety-related disorders compared to their nonautistic peers.
  • Findings were consistent across all statistical models, confirming the primary variable's impact.
  • Prevalence rates highlight significant health disparities.

Conclusions:

  • There are critical links between physical and mental health in autistic pediatric patients.
  • Potential underdiagnosis of certain conditions in autistic children suggests a need for comprehensive screening by pediatric providers.
  • Findings have significant implications for psychiatric, primary, and specialty care practices.
Abstract

Keywords:
Autismadolescentbrain-gut axischildrenempirical research

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