TABLE 1.
Baseline characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder grouped as intervention and control groups.
| Exercise-intervention group (n = 127) | Control group same institution (n = 62) | Control group another institution (n = 40) | |
| Chronological age (years) | 7.9 (3.3) | 8.1 (3.2) | 6.9 (2.8) |
| Stature (cm) | 127.4 (14.9) | 125.5 (18.1) | 132.4 (27.4) |
| Body mass (kg) | 34.9 (14.9) | 33.4 (14.3) | 41.9 (24.0) |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 21.0 (6.8) | 20.9 (7.9) | 22.8 (8.1) |
| Social interaction (0–7) | 5.2 (1.7) | 5.6 (1.6) | 4.0 (1.5) |
| Eye contact (0–6) | 5.2 (1.4) | 5.2 (1.5) | 4.8 (1.2) |
| Attention deficit (0–6) | 4.1 (1.1) | 4.1 (1.0) | 3.6 (0.9) |
| Verbal stereotype (0–8) | 4.6 (1.3) | 4.6 (1.6) | 4.9 (1.4) |
| Reactivity (0–8) | 4.1 (1.1) | 3.9 (1.2) | 4.3 (1.2) |
| Motor stereotype (0–8) | 5.0 (1.7) | 4.9 (1.9) | 6.3 (1.4) |
| Sleep disturbance (0–5) | 2.5 (1.2) | 3.8 (1.4) | 3.7 (1.3) |
| Food selection (0–8) | 3.6 (1.4) | 3.5 (1.5) | 3.3 (1.4) |