Table 1.
Characteristics of study participants.
| Variables | NT group | ASD group | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sample size | 45 | 45 | |
| Age, year | 7.27 ± 1.07 | 7.04 ± 1.19 | 0.375 |
| Sex (%,n) | 0.765 | ||
| Male | 86.67% (39) | 86.67% (39) | |
| Female | 13.33% (6) | 13.33% (6) | |
| Height, cm | 126.86 ± 7.13 | 126.33 ± 7.65 | 0.620 |
| Weight, kg | 26.44 ± 7.17 | 26.66 ± 6.80 | 0.840 |
| Birth length, cm | 50.93 ± 2.42 | 50.55 ± 2.86 | 0.529 |
| Birth weight, kg | 3.24 ± 0.36 | 3.10 ± 0.42 | 0.059 |
| Gestational age (%,n) | 0.494 | ||
| Term | 100% (45) | 95.56% (43) | |
| Preterm | 0 (0) | 4.44% (2) | |
| Delivery mode(%,n) | 0.833 | ||
| Cesarean section | 51.11% (23) | 55.56% (25) | |
| Natural birth | 48.89% (22) | 44.44% (20) | |
| Feeding patterns (%,n) | 0.793 | ||
| Breastfeeding | 82.22% (37) | 77.78% (35) | |
| Artificial feeding | 17.78% (8) | 22.22% (10) | |
| Paternal educational level (%,n) | 0.020 | ||
| Primary or less | 24.44% (11) | 13.33% (6) | |
| Secondary | 8.89% (4) | 33.33% (15) | |
| University | 57.78%(26) | 51.11% (23) | |
| Post graduate or above | 8.89%(4) | 2.22% (1) | |
| Maternal educational level(%,n) | 0.503 | ||
| Primary or less | 13.33% (6) | 6.67% (3) | |
| Secondary | 22.22% (10) | 31.11% (14) | |
| University | 57.78%(26) | 51.11% (23) | |
| Post graduate or above | 6.67%(3) | 11.11% (5) | |
| Dietary consumption | |||
| Total energy (kcal/d) | 1603.77 ± 484.52 | 1418.30 ± 472.58 | 0.064 |
| Protein a(g/d) | 70.78 ± 12.19 | 67.32 ± 10.46 | 0.172 |
| Fat a(g/d) | 43.57 ± 11.04 | 48.43 ± 10.40 | 0.076 |
| Carbohydrate a(g/d) | 213.94 ± 30.68 | 206.28 ± 26.49 | 0.273 |
| Fiber a(g/d) | 8.48 ± 2.85 | 8.07 ± 2.46 | 0.481 |
| CARS | NA | 36.31 ± 6.32 | / |
Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation when applicable. ASD, autism spectrum disorders; NT, neurotypical; CARS, Childhood Autism Rating Scale; NA, not applicable. The P-value was compared between ASD and NT groups. Bold indicates P < 0.05.
a
Energy-adjusted by the residual method.