Table 1.
Sociodemographic characteristics of studied participants with autism versus controls
| Variables | Autism children (n=308), n (%) | Control children (n=308), n (%) | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (mean±SD) | 5.39±1.66 | 5.62±1.81 | |
| Age group | |||
| 3-4 years old | 91 (29.5) | 92 (29.9) | 0.906 |
| 5-6 years old | 113 (36.7) | 117 (39.0) | |
| 7-8 years old | 104 (33.8) | 99 (32.1) | |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 153 (49.7) | 137 (44.5) | 0.170 |
| Female | 155 (50.3) | 171 (55.5) | |
| Ethnicity of child | |||
| Qatari | 124 (40.3) | 153 (49.7) | 0.023 |
| Non-Qatari/Arabs | 184 (59.7) | 155 (50.3) | |
| Educational level of father | |||
| Illiterate | 12 (3.9) | 12 (3.9) | 0.495 |
| Primary | 34 (11.0) | 24 (7.8) | |
| Intermediate | 46 (14.9) | 45 (14.6) | |
| Secondary | 109 (35.4) | 102 (33.1) | |
| University and above | 107 (34.7) | 125 (40.6) | |
| Occupation of father | |||
| Police/army/security | 12 (3.9) | 16 (5.2) | 0.934 |
| Sedentary/professional | 109 (35.4) | 110 (35.7) | |
| Clerk | 32 (10.4) | 33 (10.7) | |
| Businessman | 77 (25.0) | 71 (23.1) | |
| Government officer | 78 (25.3) | 78 (25.3) | |
| Educational level of mother | |||
| Illiterate | 33 (10.7) | 43 (14.0) | 0.011 |
| Primary | 51 (16.6) | 59 (19.2) | |
| Intermediate | 67 (21.8) | 92 (29.9) | |
| Secondary | 72 (23.4) | 48 (15.6) | |
| University and above | 85 (27.6) | 66 (21.4) | |
| Occupation of mother | |||
| Homemaker | 103 (33.4) | 95 (30.8) | 0.011 |
| Sedentary/professional | 177 (25.6) | 80 (26.0) | |
| Clerk | 55 (17.9) | 84 (27.3) | |
| Business woman | 73 (23.7) | 49 (15.9) | |
| Monthly income ($US dollars) | 0.019 | ||
| <$3000 | 77 (28.0) | 102 (33.1) | |
| $3000-$6000 | 123 (39.4) | 125 (40.6) | |
| >$6000 | 108 (32.7) | 81 (26.3) | |
| BMI group | |||
| <85th percentile | 248 (89.4) | 255 (80.3) | <0.001 |
| 85th-95th percentile | 39 (8.7) | 34 (16.1) | |
| >95th percentile | 21 (2.0) | 15 (3.5) | |
| Consanguinity | |||
| Yes | 118 (38.3) | 87 (28.2) | 0.008 |
| No | 190 (61.7) | 221 (71.8) | |
| Exposure to sun | |||
| Yes | 102 (33.1) | 126 (40.9) | 0.045 |
| No | 206 (66.9) | 182 (59.1) | |
| Walking time per/day <60 min | |||
| Yes | 110 (35.7) | 142 (46.1) | 0.003 |
| No | 208 (67.5) | 166 (53.9) |
BMI=Body mass index, SD=Standard deviation