Table 3. Mediation Effects of FSM and Language Spoken at Home on Race/Ethnicity and ASD Status.
| Characteristic | Standardized coefficients | Mediation proportion, % | SE | Estimate/SE | P value for bootstrap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language spoken at home by race/ethnicity | |||||
| White | 1 [Reference] | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Asian | 0.525 | NA | 0 | 1544.40 | <.001 |
| Black | 0.246 | NA | 0 | 648.98 | <.001 |
| Chinese | 0.114 | NA | 0 | 274.83 | <.001 |
| Roma/Irish Traveler | −0.004 | NA | 0 | −112.54 | <.001 |
| Mixed | 0.095 | NA | 0 | 209.38 | <.001 |
| Other | 0.249 | NA | 0 | 595.12 | <.001 |
| Unclassified | 0.053 | NA | 0 | 118.96 | <.001 |
| FSM by race/ethnicity | |||||
| White | 1 [Reference] | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Asian | 0.012 | NA | 0.001 | 22.89 | <.001 |
| Black | 0.145 | NA | 0 | 301.27 | <.001 |
| Chinese | −0.024 | NA | 0.001 | −40.22 | <.001 |
| Roma/Irish Traveler | 0.007 | NA | 0 | 182.97 | <.001 |
| Mixed | 0.083 | NA | 0 | 169.01 | <.001 |
| Other | 0.053 | NA | 0 | 108.71 | <.001 |
| Unclassified | 0.019 | NA | 0.001 | 37.44 | <.001 |
| ASD status | |||||
| Language spoken at home | −0.130 | NA | 0.003 | −46.40 | <.001 |
| FSM | 0.124 | NA | 0.002 | 77.98 | <.001 |
| Race/ethnicity | |||||
| White | 1 [Reference] | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Asian | 0.010 | NA | 0.002 | 5.01 | <.001 |
| Black | 0.032 | NA | 0.001 | 24.40 | <.001 |
| Chinese | 0.014 | NA | 0.001 | 11.29 | <.001 |
| Roma/Irish Traveler | 0.011 | NA | 0 | 123.50 | <.001 |
| Mixed | 0.007 | NA | 0.001 | 5.68 | <.001 |
| Other | 0.009 | NA | 0.001 | 6.36 | <.001 |
| Unclassified | 0.009 | NA | 0.001 | 7.78 | <.001 |
| Indirect effects from any other racial/ethnic group to ASD status | |||||
| Any other racial/ethnic group > FSM > ASD | 0.007 | 13.21 | 0 | 63.34 | <.001 |
| Any other racial/ethnic group > language spoken at home > ASD | −0.032 | i | 0.001 | −46.25 | <.001 |
| Indirect effects from Asian to ASD status | |||||
| Asian > FSM > ASD | 0.001 | 8.33 | 0 | 21.97 | <.001 |
| Asian > language spoken at home > ASD | −0.068 | i | 0.001 | −46.37 | <.001 |
| Indirect effects from Black to ASD status | |||||
| Black > FSM > ASD | 0.018 | 12.41 | 0 | 75.43 | <.001 |
| Black > language spoken at home > ASD | −0.032 | i | 0.001 | −46.27 | <.001 |
| Indirect effects from Chinese to ASD status | |||||
| Chinese > FSM > ASD | −0.003 | 12.50 | 0 | −35.73 | <.001 |
| Chinese > language spoken at home > ASD | −0.015 | i | 0 | −45.74 | <.001 |
| Indirect effects from mixed race/ethnicity to ASD status | |||||
| Mixed race/ethnicity > FSM > ASD | 0.010 | 12.05 | 0 | 7.75 | <.001 |
| Mixed race/ethnicity > language spoken at home > ASD | −0.012 | i | 0 | −45.27 | <.001 |
| Indirect effects from unclassified race/ethnicity to ASD status | |||||
| Unclassified race/ethnicity > FSM > ASD | 0.002 | 10.53 | 0 | 33.74 | <.001 |
| Unclassified race/ethnicity > language spoken at home > ASD | −0.007 | i | 0 | −43.21 | <.001 |
| Indirect effects from Roma/Irish Traveler to ASD status | |||||
| Roma/Irish Traveler > FSM > ASD | 0.001 | 14.29 | 0 | 71.62 | <.001 |
| Roma/Irish Traveler > language spoken at home > ASD | 0.001 | i | 0 | 42.89 | <.001 |
Abbreviations: ASD, autism spectrum disorder; FSM, Free School Meals program; i, inconsistent mediation; NA, not applicable.