<![CDATA[Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifactorial neurodevelopmental condition shaped by nutritional, biological, and sociodemographic determinants. Zinc is essential for neurodevelopment, yet evidence linking zinc status to autism risk remains inconsistent. This study examined the associations of zinc intake and serum zinc concentration with autism risk in Indonesian toddlers aged 18-36 months and assessed the contribution of sociodemographic factors. Using a cross-sectional secondary analysis of Southeast Asia Nutrition Surveys (SEANUTS) II Indonesia data (2019-2020), 664 children were included for dietary analysis and 103 for serum zinc analysis. Autism risk was screened with the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT); zinc intake and serum zinc were analysed as continuous variables using binary logistic regression. Neither zinc intake (aOR=1.033; 95% CI: 0.973-1.096) nor serum zinc (aOR=1.005; 95% CI: 0.975-1.036) was independently associated with autism risk. In contrast, urban residence and lower maternal education were consistently associated with higher autism risk across both models (aOR up to 7.876 for urban residence and 10.015 for primary maternal education; all p<0.05). These findings suggest that, at the population level, sociodemographic context outweighs zinc status in shaping M-CHAT-based autism risk, underscoring the need to strengthen parenting literacy and to expand equitable, standardized developmental screening, particularly for families with lower maternal education, rather than to rely on micronutrient supplementation alone]]>
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