Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of the participants in TD and ASD groups.
| Variable | TD (N = 1,252) | ASD (N = 1,330) | Z/T/chi-square | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender, n (%) | ||||
| Boys | 822 (65.655) | 1,088 (81.805) | χ2 = 87.364 | <0.001 |
| Girls | 430 (34.345) | 242 (18.195) | ||
| Age (years), Median (IQR) | 4.390 (3.360–5.340) | 3.970 (3.145–4.900) | Z = −5.789 | <0.001 |
| Father's educational levels, n (%) | ||||
| Middle school or below | 143 (12.181) | 259 (20.394) | χ2 = 45.991 | <0.001 |
| High school | 204 (17.376) | 276 (21.732) | ||
| College or above | 827 (70.443) | 735 (57.874) | ||
| Mother's educational levels, n (%) | ||||
| Middle school or below | 142 (12.014) | 301 (23.516) | χ2 = 106.904 | <0.001 |
| High school | 185 (15.651) | 309 (24.141) | ||
| College or above | 855 (72.335) | 670 (52.344) | ||
| Residential place, n (%) | ||||
| Urban | 1,043 (89.145) | 964 (75.549) | χ2 = 76.621 | <0.001 |
| Rural | 127 (10.855) | 312 (24.451) | ||
| Boys | N = 797 | N = 904 | ||
| ZHA, mean ± SD | 0.120 ± 1.130 | 0.223 ± 1.167 | T = −1.844 | 0.065 |
| ZWA, mean ± SD | 0.322 ± 1.121 | 0.393 ± 1.156 | T = −1.287 | 0.198 |
| ZBMIA, mean ± SD | 0.365 ± 1.173 | 0.370 ± 1.374 | T = −0.083 | 0.934 |
| Girls | N = 413 | N = 198 | ||
| ZHA, mean ± SD | 0.051 ± 1.148 | 0.228 ± 1.104 | T = −1.802 | 0.072 |
| ZWA, mean ± SD | 0.199 ± 1.038 | 0.249 ± 1.151 | T = −0.536 | 0.592 |
| ZBMIA, mean ± SD | 0.243 ± 1.128 | 0.141 ± 1.323 | T = 0.987 | 0.324 |
ASD, autism spectrum disorder; TD, typically developing; IQR, inter-quartile range.
ZHA, Z-scores for height; ZWA, Z-scores for weight; ZBMIA, Z-scores for BMI.
Data was shown as Median (IQR) or number (percentage). Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test were used in the analysis.