Table I.
Descriptive Data on Original Sample at Time 1
| Characteristic | Spina bifida M ( SD ) or N (%) | Typically developing M ( SD ) or N (%) | Statistical test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child age | 8.34 (0.48) | 8.49 (0.50) | t (134) = −1.75 |
| Maternal age | 37.74 (5.19) | 37.74 (4.84) | t (134) = 0.00 |
| Paternal age | 41.02 (5.45) | 40.63 (6.50) | t (105) = 0.33 |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 37 (54.41) | 37 (54.41) | χ 2 (1) = 0.00 |
| Female | 31 (45.59) | 31 (45.59) | |
| Child ethnicity | |||
| Caucasian | 56 (82.35) | 62 (91.18) | χ 2 (1) = 2.30 |
| Other | 12 (17.65) | 6 (8.82) | |
| Family structure | |||
| Two-parent intact | 55 (80.88) | 47 (69.12) | χ 2 (1) = 2.51 |
| Not intact | 13 (19.2) | 21 (30.88) | |
| Child birth order, M ( SD ) | 2.12 (1.38) | 2.06 (1.29) | t (129) = 0.27 |
| Family SES | 43.12 (10.6) | 46.46 (10.9) | t (131) = −1.80 |
Note. n = 68 for both samples. All statistics were nonsignificant. Marital status was collapsed to intact versus not intact (i.e., mother/stepfather, single mother, separated, other). SES = socioeconomic status measured by Hollingshead Four Factor Index ( Hollingshead, 1975 ). The mean Hollingshead SES scores for each group indicated families were of upper middle class status on average. Calculation of SES score frequencies also indicated that 25.0% ( n = 34) and 9.0% ( n = 9) of families fell into lower middle and lower class categories, respectively.