Table 1.
Participant demographics
| Characteristics | Autism (n = 1285) | Controls (n = 1364) | p-values (Sig.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 41.26 (14.48) | 38.40 (16.06) | 1.44 × 10–8 ( ***) |
| Age (years), categories, N (%) | |||
| 16–29 | 338 (26.30) | 495 (36.29) | |
| 30–39 | 269 (20.93) | 273 (20.01) | |
| 40–49 | 274 (21.32) | 238 (17.45) | |
| 50–59 | 256 (19.92) | 195 (14.30) | |
| 60–69 | 112 (8.73) | 107 (7.84) | |
| 70 + | 36 (2.80) | 56 (4.11) | |
| AQ-10 score, mean (SD) | 8.02 (1.88) | 3.78 (2.60) | < 2.22 × 10–16 ( ***) |
| Female | 8.13 (1.75) | 3.71 (2.67) | < 2.22 × 10–16 ( ***) |
| Male | 7.82 (2.07) | 3.91 (2.48) | < 2.22 × 10–16 ( ***) |
| Other | 8.75 (1.89) | – | |
| Sex assigned at birth, N (%) | 0.117 | ||
| Female | 816 (63.50) | 864 (63.34) | |
| Male | 465 (36.19) | 500 (36.66) | |
| Other | 4 (0.31) | 0 | |
| Gender, N (%) | < 2.22 × 10–16 ( ***) | ||
| Female | 819 (60.04) | 669 (52.06) | |
| Male | 488 (35.78) | 436 (33.93) | |
| Non-binary | 36 (2.64) | 122 (9.49) | |
| Othera | 21 (1.54) | 56 (4.36) | |
| Missing | 0 | 2 (0.16) | |
| Ethnicity, N (%) | 9.48 × 10–8 ( ***) | ||
| White | 1098 (85.45) | 1059 (77.64) | |
| Non-White | 179 (13.93) | 299 (21.92) | |
| African | 5 (0.39) | 13 (0.95) | |
| Arab | 1 (0.08) | 8 (0.59) | |
| Caribbean | 7 (0.54) | 1 (0.07) | |
| Hispanic | 11 (0.86) | 35 (2.57) | |
| Jewish | 25 (1.94) | 36 (2.64) | |
| Mixed Race | 88 (6.85) | 125 (9.16) | |
| Turkish | 1 (0.08) | 10 (0.73) | |
| Other | 41 (3.19) | 71 (5.21) | |
| Missing | 8 (0.62) | 6 (0.44) | |
| Education, N (%) | 2.33 × 10–6 ( ***) | ||
| No formal qualifications | 60 (4.67) | 30 (2.20) | |
| Further vocational qualifications | 200 (15.56) | 152 (11.14) | |
| Secondary School/ High School | 220 (17.12) | 250 (18.33) | |
| University Undergraduate | 400 (31.13) | 405 (29.69) | |
| University Postgraduate | 405 (31.52) | 524 (38.42) | |
| Missing | 0 | 3 (0.22) | |
| Country of Residence | < 2.22 × 10–16 ( ***) | ||
| Australia | 20 (1.56) | 37 (2.71) | |
| Canada | 41 (3.19) | 52 (3.81) | |
| Germany | 40 (3.11) | 29 (2.13) | |
| Netherlands | 25 (1.95) | 34 (2.49) | |
| United Kingdom | 839 (65.29) | 589 (43.18) | |
| United States | 141 (10.97) | 153 (11.22) | |
| Other | 177 (13.77) | 467 (34.24) | |
| Missing | 2 (0.16) | 3 (0.22) |
SD standard deviation, Sig. significance level
p-values were from Pearson’s Chi Square test (categorical) or from a Mann–Whitney U test (means)
aIncludes individuals who listed their sex as female and gender as male (or vice versa)
P-value: < .001 = * ; < .0001 = ** ; < .00001 = ***