Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in Swedish preschool children: a screening study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite its common early onset, little is known about the prevalence and clinical presentation of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in very young children, hindering early identification and intervention. Differentiating ARFID from normative selective eating is particularly challenging, yet validated parent-reported screening tools are lacking. This study aimed to estimate the point prevalence and describe the clinical characteristics of ARFID in preschoolers. It also evaluated the psychometric properties of the parent-reported ARFID-Brief Screener by assessing its agreement with a diagnostic interview for ARFID.

Methods

Parents of 645 children (50.5% male, mean age 3.2 years) completed the ARFID-Brief Screener and a neurodevelopmental screener dur

SUBMITTER: Dinkler L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12363052 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature