Table 1.
Characteristics of the sample.
| Diagnosed ASC | Suspected ASC | Non-ASC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, M (SD), range | 33.9 (13.5), 16–62 | 36.1 (13.5), 19–67 | 28.9 (12.0), 17–64 |
| Group comparison = F(2, 196) = 5.43, p = 0.005 | |||
| Gender, n (%) | |||
| Male | 17 (33.3%) | 10 (31.3%) | 21 (17.6%) |
| Female | 29 (56.9%) | 19 (59.4%) | 98 (82.4%) |
| Non-binary/trans | 5 (9.8%) | 3 (9.4%) | 0 |
| Group comparison = χ2(4) = 20.16, p < 0.001 | |||
| Ethnicity, n (%) a | |||
| White/Caucasian | 44 (86.3%) | 26 (81.3%) | 79 (66.4%) |
| Mixed race | 2 (3.9%) | 1 (3.1%) | 4 (3.4%) |
| Asian | 0 | 0 | 6 (5%) |
| Group comparison = χ2(4) = 5.17, p = 0.270 | |||
| Education, n (%) | |||
| No formal qualifications | 2 (3.9%) | 2 (6.3%) | 1 (0.8%) |
| Secondary GCSE/equivalent | 8 (15.7%) | 3 (9.4%) | 9 (7.6%) |
| Post-secondary | 16 (31.4%) | 5 (15.6%) | 40 (33.6%) |
| Bachelor’s degree | 14 (27.5%) | 15 (46.9%) | 46 (38.7%) |
| Postgraduate degree | 9 (17.6%) | 7 (21.9%) | 18 (15.1%) |
| Other | 2 (3.9%) | 0 | 5 (4.2%) |
| Group comparison = χ2(10) = 12.90, p = 0.230 | |||
| Employment, b n (%) | |||
| Full-time | 14 (27.5%) | 16 (50%) | 49 (41.2%) |
| Part-time | 9 (17.6%) | 7 (21.9%) | 29 (24.4%) |
| Unemployed (looking) | 4 (7.8%) | 1 (3.1%) | 2 (1.7%) |
| Unemployed (not looking) | 3 (5.9%) | 1 (3.1%) | 2 (1.7%) |
| Student | 20 (39.2%) | 5 (15.6%) | 42 (35.3%) |
| Retired | 1 (2.0%) | 2 (6.3%) | 2 (1.7%) |
| Self-employed | 3 (5.9%) | 2 (6.3%) | 4 (3.4%) |
| Unable | 5 (9.8%) | 2 (6.3%) | 1 (0.8%) |
ASC: autism spectrum condition; GCSE: general certificate of secondary education; SD: standard deviation.
a
Ethnicity data were missing for n = 40.
b
Participants could select more than one of the employment options, so percentages do not sum to 100% and group comparisons could not be conducted.