Table 2.
Reason for most recent hospital contacts.
| Answer | Autistic adult | Carer | Professional | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | Do not know | Yes | No | Do not know | Yes, more frequent | No, not more frequent | Do not know | |
| Sleep problems | 25 (9.2) | 243 (89.0) | 5 (1.8) | 29 (15.1) | 162 (84.4) | 1 (0.5) | 69 (63.9) | 14 (13.0) | 25 (23.2) |
| GI problem | 39 (14.2) | 230 (83.9) | 5 (1.8) | 32 (16.8) | 155 (81.6) | 3 (1.6) | 52 (48.2) | 23 (21.3) | 33 (30.6) |
| Infection | 32 (11.7) | 239 (87.6) | 2 (0.7) | 42 (21.3) | 153 (77.7) | 2 (1.0) | 12 (11.1) | 51 (47.2) | 45 (41.7) |
| Allergy | 8 (2.9) | 263 (96.3) | 2 (0.7) | 14 (7.3) | 176 (91.7) | 2 (1.0) | 9 (8.3) | 57 (52.8) | 42 (38.9) |
| Asthma | 6 (2.2) | 265 (97.1) | 2 (0.7) | 9 (4.7) | 180 (94.2) | 2 (1.1) | 5 (4.6) | 57 (52.8) | 46 (42.6) |
| COPD | 1 (0.4) | 269 (98.5) | 3 (1.1) | 1 (0.5) | 187 (98.4) | 2 (1.1) | 1 (0.9) | 57 (52.8) | 50 (46.3) |
| Cancer | 8 (2.9) | 262 (96.0) | 3 (1.1) | 2 (1.1) | 184 (98.4) | 1 (0.5) | 3 (2.8) | 52 (48.2) | 53 (49.1) |
| Hypertension | 12 (4.4) | 259 (94.9) | 2 (0.7) | 4 (2.1) | 181 (96.3) | 3 (1.6) | 6 (5.6) | 53 (49.1) | 49 (45.4) |
| Overweight | 3 (1.1) | 268 (98.2) | 2 (0.7) | 9 (4.7) | 179 (94.2) | 2 (1.1) | 21 (19.4) | 43 (39.8) | 44 (40.7) |
| Diabetes | 6 (2.2) | 265 (97.1) | 2 (0.7) | 7 (3.7) | 181 (95.8) | 1 (0.5) | 10 (9.3) | 47 (43.5) | 51 (47.2) |
| Depression | 49 (17.9) | 222 (81.0) | 3 (1.1) | 31 (16.1) | 161 (83.4) | 1 (0.5) | 66 (61.1) | 24 (22.2) | 18 (16.7) |
| Anxiety | 55 (20.2) | 215 (78.8) | 3 (1.1) | 53 (26.5) | 145 (72.5) | 2 (1.0) | 71 (65.7) | 21 (19.4) | 16 (14.8) |
| Other mental or psychiatric conditions | 24 (8.8) | 246 (90.1) | 3 (1.1) | 22 (11.5) | 168 (88.0) | 1 (0.5) | 66 (61.1) | 23 (21.3) | 19 (17.6) |
| Epilepsy | 5 (1.8) | 265 (97.1) | 3 (1.1) | 28 (14.4) | 163 (84.0) | 3 (1.6) | 71 (65.7) | 14 (13.0) | 23 (21.3) |
| Pain | 104 (38.1) | 163 (59.7) | 6 (2.2) | 52 (26.7) | 138 (70.8) | 5 (2.6) | 36 (33.3) | 41 (38.0) | 31 (28.7) |
| Accident | 49 (18.0) | 220 (80.6) | 4 (1.5) | 43 (21.9) | 152 (77.6) | 1 (0.5) | 43 (39.8) | 26 (24.1) | 39 (36.1) |
| Self-harm/injury | 22 (8.1) | 247 (90.5) | 4 (1.5) | 35 (18.0) | 158 (81.0) | 2 (1.0) | 81 (75.0) | 11 (10.2) | 16 (14.8) |
| Suicide attempt | 18 (6.6) | 251 (91.9) | 4 (1.5) | 8 (4.2) | 177 (94.0) | 4 (2.1) | 36 (33.3) | 36 (33.3) | 36 (33.3) |
| Heart conditions | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6 (5.6) | 58 (53.7) | 44 (40.7) |
| Lack of recognition of a health problem until it reached an advanced stage | 29 (10.6) | 241 (88.0) | 4 (1.5) | 34 (17.4) | 157 (80.5) | 4 (2.1) | 70 (64.8) | 12 (11.1) | 26 (24.1) |
| Poor adherence to treatment for a previously diagnoses condition | 53 (19.4) | 214 (78.4) | 6 (2.2) | 25 (13.1) | 164 (85.9) | 2 (1.1) | 55 (50.9) | 20 (18.5) | 33 (30.6) |
Values expressed as number of responders and frequencies (in parenthesis). N autistic adults: 273 to 274; N carers: 187 to 200; N professionals: 108. GI, gastrointestinal; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ADHD, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; N/A, question not available for the correspondent group. The questions were the following: autistic adult: “What was the reason for the most recent hospital contact?”; Carer: “What was the reason for the adult's most recent hospital contact?”; Professional: “Based on your professional knowledge or work experience, do you believe that the following reasons for hospital contacts (emergency room, inpatient or outpatient admission) are more frequent in autistic adults, compared with adults not on the autism spectrum?”