Table 2. Sensitivity and Specificity of M-CHAT(-R/F) Overall and by Study Characteristics.
| Characteristic | No. | Sens | Spec | DOR (95% CI) | −2LL | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 49a | 0.83 | 0.94 | 75.40 (35.56-159.87) | NA | NA |
| M-CHAT version | ||||||
| M-CHAT | 31 | 0.83 | 0.94 | 63.47 (25.38-158.73) | 1.35 | .72 |
| M-CHAT-R | 18 | 0.83 | 0.95 | 102.69 (27.87-378.26) | ||
| Likelihood level | ||||||
| Low | 27 | 0.83 | 0.99 | 334.78 (156.69-715.31) | 58.28 | <.001b |
| High | 22 | 0.82 | 0.70 | 10.93 (4.45-26.83) | ||
| Case confirmation strategy | ||||||
| Concurrent | 40 | 0.86 | 0.93 | 85.84 (37.56-196.16) | 17.66 | .001b |
| Prospective | 9 | 0.57 | 0.97 | 38.71 (8.38-178.82) | ||
| Sample size | ||||||
| <500 | 20 | 0.83 | 0.78 | 17.31 (6.48-46.21) | 38.26 | <.001b |
| 500-5000 | 17 | 0.80 | 0.96 | 88.94 (29.58-267.43) | ||
| >5000 | 12 | 0.85 | 0.99 | 553.41 (159.34-1922.06) | ||
| Follow-up | ||||||
| Initial only | 22 | 0.82 | 0.84 | 24.61 (9.01-67.23) | 11.29 | .01b |
| Follow-up | 27 | 0.83 | 0.97 | 182.87 (71.12-470.22) | ||
| Language | ||||||
| English or primarily English | 26 | 0.78 | 0.85 | 20.19 (7.85-51.91) | 23.96 | <.001b |
| Other | 23 | 0.89 | 0.98 | 361.76 (145.80-897.58) |
Abbreviations: DOR, diagnostic odds ratio; M-CHAT, Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers; M-CHAT-R, Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised; NA, not applicable; Sens, sensitivity; Spec, specificity; −2LL, −2 log likelihood difference.
a
Studies classified as “mixed” or “unknown” in any category were excluded from the analysis (n = 2).57,58 When the overall model was run with the full set of 51 studies, sensitivity was only slightly different, specificity was identical, and DOR was slightly higher (78.71 [95% CI, 38.11-162.57]). Therefore, for comparison across the subanalyses, the common set of 49 studies is reported.
b
P < .05.