Table 2.
Comparison of the general condition, eating behaviour, gastrointestinal symptoms, sleep status, agnostic behaviour and family history between children with autism and typically developing children (n 53)
(Number and percentage)
| Children with autism | Typically developing children | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General condition and symptoms | n | % | n | % | P* |
| Sex | |||||
| Male | 45 | 84·9 | 45 | 84·9 | 1·000 |
| Female | 8 | 15·1 | 8 | 15·1 | |
| Age years | |||||
| 4 | 31 | 58·5 | 31 | 58·5 | 1·000 |
| 5 | 18 | 34·0 | 18 | 34·0 | |
| 6 | 4 | 7·5 | 4 | 7·5 | |
| Occupation of mother | |||||
| Intellectual work | 36 | 67·9 | 40 | 75·5 | 0·388 |
| Physical work | 17 | 32·1 | 13 | 24·5 | |
| Occupation of father | |||||
| Intellectual work | 37 | 69·8 | 38 | 71·1 | 0·831 |
| Physical work | 16 | 30·2 | 15 | 28·3 | |
| Family income per capita per month | |||||
| ≥3000 Chinese Yuan | 27 | 50·9 | 23 | 43·3 | 0·436 |
| <3000 Chinese Yuan | 26 | 49·1 | 30 | 56·6 | |
| Food selectiveness | 23 | 43·4 | 9 | 17·0 | 0·003 |
| Resists trying new foods | 33 | 62·3 | 15 | 28·3 | <0·001 |
| Bad eating independence and attention | 33 | 62·3 | 3 | 5·7 | <0·0001 |
| Abdominal pain | 11 | 20·8 | 2 | 3·8 | 0·008 |
| Constipation | 21 | 39·6 | 3 | 5·7 | <0·0001 |
| Chronic diarrhoea | 14 | 26·4 | 0 | 0 | <0·0001 |
| Excessive flatulence | 10 | 18·9 | 4 | 7·5 | 0·085 |
| Disgorging | 5 | 9·4 | 1 | 1·9 | 0·207 |
| Sleep disturbance | 11 | 20·8 | 4 | 7·5 | 0·051 |
| Food or drug allergy | 15 | 28·3 | 4 | 7·5 | 0·005 |
| Self-injurious behaviour, tantrums, aggression, oppositional behaviour | 20 | 37·7 | 6 | 11·3 | 0·002 |
| Family history of allergy or immunity to diseases | 28 | 52·8 | 10 | 18·9 | <0·0001 |
| Father/mother with a moderate or severe gastrointestinal problem | 23 | 43·4 | 18 | 34·0 | 0·319 |
* χ2 test.