Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder, by geographic region
| Total (n=711) % (SE) |
Northeast (n=145) % (SE) |
Midwest (n=148) % (SE) |
South (n=234) % (SE) |
West (n=184) % (SE) |
F-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child characteristics | ||||||
| Age | 0.63 | |||||
| 3–7 years | 30.1 (2.4) | 32.7 (5.3) | 24.3 (4.0) | 30.6 (4.6) | 32.7 (4.9) | |
| 8–12 years | 38.6 (2.5) | 40.6 (6.0) | 37.7 (5.5) | 36.9 (4.0) | 40.5 (5.1) | |
| 13–17 years | 31.3 (2.5) | 26.7 (5.5) | 38.0 (5.5) | 32.5 (4.5) | 26.8 (4.6) | |
| Sex | 0.02 | |||||
| Female | 75.3 (2.3) | 24.3 (5.2) | 24.3 (4.3) | 24.6 (3.8) | 25.9 (4.9) | |
| Male | 24.7 (2.3) | 75.7 (5.2) | 75.7 (4.3) | 75.4 (3.8) | 74.1 (4.9) | |
| Race and ethnicity | 6.18*** | |||||
| Non-Hispanic white | 60.7 (2.4) | 69.8 (5.0) | 75.5 (4.1) | 54.3ab (3.8) | 48.2ab (5.4) | |
| Non-Hispanic black | 16.8 (2.1) | 13.6 (4.1) | 13.5 (3.4) | 25.6b (4.3) | 8.2c (2.8) | |
| Non-Hispanic other and multiple race | 4.6 (1.0) | 0.6 (0.4) | 4.0a (1.8) | 3.0 (1.6) | 11.3abc (2.9) | |
| Hispanic | 18.0 (1.9) | 16.0 (3.6) | 7.0a (2.1) | 17.1b (3.2) | 32.3abc (5.2) | |
| Insurance type | 3.15** | |||||
| Any private | 50.8 (2.6) | 62.4 (5.4) | 54.6 (4.8) | 42.8a (4.8) | 49.2 (5.8) | |
| Public only1 | 46.4 (2.6) | 36.1 (5.3) | 44.8 (4.8) | 51.4a (4.5) | 49.3 (5.9) | |
| Uninsured | 2.8 (0.8) | 1.5 (0.9) | 0.6 (0.4) | 5.7b (2.1) | 1.6c (0.7) | |
| Family characteristics | ||||||
| Federal poverty level | 1.38 | |||||
| <100% | 21.4 (2.1) | 15.3 (3.4) | 24.8 (4.5) | 23.2 (4.0) | 20.7 (4.3) | |
| 100–199% | 28.8 (2.2) | 26.1 (5.6) | 26.0 (4.4) | 31.2 (3.4) | 30.0 (5.1) | |
| 200–399% | 25.9 (2.1) | 23.2 (4.3) | 30.7 (3.9) | 21.8 (3.7) | 30.4 (5.3) | |
| ≥400% | 23.8 (2.1) | 35.4 (5.5) | 18.6 (3.8) | 23.8 (3.2) | 18.8 (4.1) | |
| Family type | 2.55* | |||||
| Two parents | 63.7 (2.4) | 67.5 (4.8) | 56.5 (4.4) | 62.7 (4.5) | 69.2 (5.3) | |
| Single parent | 31.0 (2.3) | 27.4 (4.5) | 42.6a (4.3) | 28.6b (4.1) | 26.5b (4.6) | |
| Other | 5.3 (1.2) | 5.1 (2.9) | 0.8a (0.5) | 8.7b (2.5) | 4.3b (1.8) | |
| Highest educated member | 2.41* | |||||
| Less than high school | 8.9 (1.6) | 4.8 (1.9) | 3.3 (1.3) | 14.1ab (3.6) | 9.8b (3.2) | |
| High school diploma or GED | 19.0 (1.9) | 19.9 (3.9) | 24.7 (4.7) | 18.1 (3.5) | 13.9 (3.5) | |
| More than high school | 72.1 (2.1) | 75.3 (4.4) | 71.9 (4.7) | 67.8 (3.7) | 76.3 (4.2) | |
| MSA Status2 | 2.07 | |||||
| In MSA | 87.8 (1.7) | 92.8 (2.7) | 81.3 (5.0) | 87.2 (2.9) | 91.2 (2.5) | |
| Not in an MSA | 12.2 (1.7) | 7.3 (2.7) | 18.7 (5.0) | 12.8 (2.9) | 8.8 (2.5) |
NOTES: GED is General Education Diploma; SE is standard error; MSA is metropolitan statistical area
a
Significantly different from children in Northeast (p<0.05) using bivariate logistic regression.
b
Significantly different from children in Midwest (p<0.05) using bivariate logistic regression.
c
Significantly different from children in South (p<0.05) using bivariate logistic regression.
*
p<0.05
**
p<0.01
***
p<0.001
1
Public insurance includes Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other state sponsored coverage.
2
A MSA consists of a county or group of counties that includes an urbanized area with a population of at least 50 thousand.