ORs and 95% CIs from bivariate analyses predicting medical and psychiatric ED visits among 284 youth and adults with ASD living in Ontario
| Medical ED visit | Psychiatric ED visit | |||||
| Medical ED visit (N=31), n (%) | No Medical ED visit (N=236), n (%) | OR (95% CI) | Psychiatric ED visit (N=18), n (%) | No psychiatric ED visit (N=249), n (%) | OR (95% CI) | |
| Predisposing | ||||||
| Age | ||||||
| Mean (SD) | 17.7 (4.5) | 18.3 (6.3) | 1.0 (0.9 to 1.1) | 18.6 (6.6) | 18.2 (6.6) | 1.0 (0.9 to 1.1) |
| Gender | ||||||
| Female | 7 (22.6) | 47 (19.9) | 1.2 (0.5 to 2.9) | 6 (33.3) | 48 (19.3) | 2.1 (0.7 to 5.9) |
| Male | 24 (77.4) | 189 (80.1) | 1.0 | 12 (66.7) | 201 (80.7) | 1.0 |
| SCQ score | ||||||
| Mean (SD) | 22.5 (7.2) | 22.6 (6.1) | 1.0 (0.9 to 1.1) | 20.8 (4.7) | 22.7 (6.3) | 1.0 (0.9 to 1.0) |
| ID status | ||||||
| ID (mild to profound ID) | 14 (45.2) | 110 (46.6) | 1.00 | 8 (44.4) | 116 (46.6) | 1.0 |
| No ID | 15 (48.4) | 98 (41.5) | 1.2 (0.6 to 2.6) | 9 (50.0) | 104 (41.8) | 1.3 (0.5 to 3.4) |
| Missing | 2 (6.5) | 28 (11.9) | 0.6 (0.1 to 2.6) | 1 (5.6) | 29 (11.6) | 0.5 (0.1 to 4.2) |
| Enabling | ||||||
| Parent marital status | ||||||
| Unmarried | 10 (32.3) | 53 (22.5) | 1.6 (0.7 to 3.7) | 7 (38.9) | 56 (22.5) | 2.2 (0.8 to 5.9) |
| Married/living with partner | 21 (67.7) | 183 (77.5) | 1.0 | 11 (61.1) | 193 (77.5) | 1.0 |
| Parent immigrated | ||||||
| Yes | 4 (12.9) | 60 (25.4) | 0.4 (0.2 to 1.3) | 8 (44.4) | 56 (22.5) | 2.8 (1.0 to 7.3)* |
| No | 27 (87.1) | 176 (74.6) | 1.0 | 10 (55.6) | 193 (77.5) | 1.0 |
| Parental education | ||||||
| High education | 25 (80.6) | 173 (73.3) | 1.47 (0.6 to 3.8) | 12 (66.7) | 186 (74.7) | 0.7 (0.2 to 1.8) |
| Low education | 6 (19.4) | 61 (25.8) | 1.0 | 5 (33.3) | 61 (24.5) | 1.0 |
| Missing | 0 | 2 (0.8) | 0 | 2 (0.8) | ||
| Neighbourhood income | ||||||
| Low | 13 (41.9) | 41 (17.4) | 3.4 (1.6 to 7.6)** | 2 (11.1) | 52 (20.9) | 0.5 (0.1 to 2.1) |
| High | 18 (58.1) | 195 (82.6) | 1.0 | 16 (88.9) | 197 (79.1) | 1.0 |
| Daytime activity | ||||||
| Unstructured | 6 (19.4) | 207 (87.7) | 1.7 (0.7 to 4.5) | 5 (27.8) | 30 (12.0) | 2.8 (0.9 to 8.4) |
| Structured | 25 (80.6) | 29 (12.3) | 1.0 | 13 (72.2) | 219 (88.0) | 1.0 |
| Family distress | ||||||
| Mean (SD) | 5.1 (2.1) | 4.0 (1.7) | 1.4 (1.1 to 1.6)** | 5.3 (1.5) | 4.0 (1.8) | 1.4 (1.1 to 1.8)** |
| Urban-rural residence | ||||||
| Urban | 24 (77.4) | 216 (91.5) | 1.0 | 16 (88.9) | 224 (90.0) | 1.0 |
| Rural | 7 (22.6) | 20 (8.5) | 3.2 (1.2 to 8.2)* | 2 (11.1) | 25 (10.0) | 1.1 (0.2 to 5.2) |
| Need | ||||||
| Medical comorbidity | ||||||
| Yes | 12 (38.7) | 79 (33.5) | 1.3 (0.6 to 2.7) | 4 (22.2) | 87 (34.9) | 0.5 (0.2 to 1.7) |
| No | 19 (61.3) | 157 (66.5) | 1.0 | 14 (77.8) | 162 (65.1) | 1.0 |
| Psychiatric comorbidity | ||||||
| Yes | 18 (58.1) | 105 (44.5) | 1.7 (0.8 to 3.7) | 11 (61.1) | 112 (45.0) | 1.9 (0.7 to 5.1) |
| No | 13 (41.9) | 131 (44.5) | 1.0 | 7 (38.9) | 137 (55.0) | 1.0 |
| On medication | ||||||
| Yes | 23 (74.2) | 129 (54.7) | 2.4 (1.0 to 5.6)* | 16 (88.9) | 136 (54.6) | 6.7 (1.5 to 29.5)* |
| No | 8 (25.8) | 107 (45.3) | 1.0 | 2 (11.1) | 113 (45.4) | 1.0 |
| History of aggression | ||||||
| Yes | 21 (67.7) | 151 (64.0) | 1.2 (0.5 to 2.6) | 16 (88.9) | 156 (62.7) | 4.8 (1.1 to 21.2)* |
| No | 10 (32.3) | 85 (36.0) | 1.0 | 2 (11.1) | 93 (37.3) | 1.0 |
| ED visit in past year | ||||||
| Yes | 15 (48.4) | 41 (17.4) | 4.5 (2.0 to 9.7)*** | 7 (38.9) | 49 (19.7) | 2.6 (1.0 to 7.1) |
| No | 16 (51.6) | 195 (82.6) | 1.0 | 11 (61.1) | 200 (80.3) | 1.0 |
| 2+ Negative life events | ||||||
| Yes | 14 (45.2) | 49 (20.8) | 3.1 (1.5 to 6.8)** | 8 (44.4) | 55 (22.1) | 2.8 (1.1 to 7.5)* |
| No | 17 (54.8) | 187 (79.2) | 1.0 | 10 (55.6) | 194 (77.9) | 1.0 |
*p<0.05, ** p<0.01, ***p<0.001.
ASD, autism spectrum disorder; ED, emergency department; ID , intellectual disability; SCQ, Social Communication Questionnaire.