ORs and 95% CIs from bivariate and multivariate analyses predicting ED visits among 284 youth and adults with ASD living in Ontario
| Bivariate analysis | Significant predictor only +age model | Fully adjusted model | |
| OR (95% CI)* | OR (95% CI)† | OR (95% CI‡ | |
| Predisposing | |||
| Age (years) | 1.0 (1.0 to 1.1) | 1.0 (1.0 to 1.1) | 1.0 (0.9 to 1.1) |
| Gender | |||
| Female | 1.8 (1.0 to 3.5)§ | 1.8 (0.9 to 3.7)§ | 1.8 (0.9 to 3.8)§ |
| Male | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| SCQ score | 1.0 (0.9 to 1.0) | 1.0 (0.9 to 1.0) | |
| ID status | |||
| ID (mild to profound ID) | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
| No ID | 1.2 (0.7 to 2.1) | 1.1 (0.5 to 2.3) | |
| Missing | 0.5 (0.2 to 1.6) | 0.5 (0.1 to 1.7) | |
| Enabling | |||
| Parent marital status | |||
| Unmarried | 1.4 (0.8 to 2.6) | 1.2 (0.5 to 2.5) | |
| Married/living with partner | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
| Parent immigrated | |||
| Yes | 1.0 (0.5 to 2.0) | 1.2 (0.6 to 2.6) | |
| No | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
| Parental education | |||
| High education | 1.1 (0.6 to 2.1) | 1.4 (0.6 to 2.9) | |
| Low education | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
| Neighbourhood income | |||
| Low | 1.8 (0.9 to 3.3)§ | 1.8 (0.9 to 3.8)§ | 1.7 (0.8 to 3.6)§ |
| High | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Daytime activity | |||
| Unstructured | 2.0 (0.9 to 4.1)§ | 1.1 (0.4 to 2.9) | 1.1 (0.4 to 3.2) |
| Structured | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Family distress | |||
| Urban-rural residence | 1.4 (1.2 to 1.6)*** | 1.3 (1.1 to 1.5)** | 1.3 (1.1 to 1.5)** |
| Urban | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Rural | 2.3 (1.0 to 5.0)* | 2.0 (0.8 to 4.9)§ | 2.1 (0.8 to 5.4)§ |
| Need | |||
| Medical comorbidity | |||
| Yes | 1.1 (0.6 to 2.0) | 0.8 (0.4 to 1.7) | |
| No | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
| Psychiatric comorbidity | |||
| Yes | 1.7 (1.0 to 3.1)§ | 1.0 (0.5 to 2.0) | 0.9 (0.4 to 1.9) |
| No | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| On medication | |||
| Yes | 2.5 (1.3 to 4.5)** | 1.4 (0.7 to 2.9) | 1.6 (0.8 to 3.5)§ |
| No | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| History of aggression | |||
| Yes | 1.2 (0.7 to 2.2) | 0.8 (0.4 to 1.7) | |
| No | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
| ED visit in past year | |||
| Yes | 4.5 (2.5 to 8.3)*** | 2.7 (1.4 to 5.5)** | 2.9 (1.4 to 5.9)** |
| No | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 2+ Negative life events | |||
| Yes | 3.0 (1.6 to 5.5) *** | 2.5 (1.2 to 5.2)* | 2.5 (1.2 to 5.3)* |
| No | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
*Derived from single predictor models.
†Derived from a model that included predictors with a p value of 0.20 or lower in the bivariate analysis: age; gender; neighbourhood income, typical day; family distress, urban-rural residence; psychiatric comorbidity; ED visit in past year; 2+ negative life events.
‡Derived from a model that included all predictors, n=282 due to missing data.
§p<0.20, *p<0.05,** p<0.01, ***p<0.001.
ASD, autism spectrum disorder; ED, emergency department; ID , intellectual disability; SCQ, Social Communication Questionnaire.