Abstract
This study examined the relationship between self-injurious behavior and caloric intake. Behavioral, dietary, and weight/height indices obtained on 80 neurodevelopmentally disabled and autistic clients revealed that maintenance on high caloric diets significantly predicted the occurrence of self-injurious behavior in male clients. Male clients with self-injurious behavior were also outside their recommended weight to height index. Systematic studies are needed to assess the relationship among diet, the endogenous opioid system, and self-injurious behavior.
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Neri, C.L., Sandman, C.A. Relationship between diet and self-injurious behavior: A survey. J Dev Phys Disabil 4, 189–194 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01046963
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01046963