Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Dec 16:15:1507856.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1507856. eCollection 2024.

Assessing the quality of life in children with autism spectrum disorder: a cross-sectional study of contributing factors

Jaya Shanker Tedla  1 , Faisal Asiri  1 , Ravi Shankar Reddy  1 , Devika Rani Sangadala  1 , Kumar Gular  1 , Venkata Nagaraj Kakaraparthi  1
Affiliations

Assessing the quality of life in children with autism spectrum disorder: a cross-sectional study of contributing factors

Jaya Shanker Tedla et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to assess the quality of life (QoL) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to typically developing peers, identify key influencing factors such as socio-demographic and comorbid conditions, and examine the impact of symptom severity on QoL outcomes.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted in Saudi Arabia, 75 children with ASD were compared to 75 typically developing children matched for age and gender. QoL was evaluated using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), while the severity of autism symptoms was assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Additional variables, including socio-demographic factors, comorbid conditions, and family environment, were collected through structured interviews and clinical assessments. Statistical analyses, including independent samples t-tests, multiple linear regression, and ANOVA, were employed to compare QoL scores, identify predictors, and assess the impact of symptom severity on QoL outcomes.

Results: The mean overall QoL score for children with ASD was 57.86 (SD = 13.25) compared to 81.67 (SD = 10.89) for typically developing children (t = -10.56, p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.90). Socioeconomic status (β = -0.25, t = -5.00, p < 0.001), comorbid ADHD (β = -0.35, t = -5.83, p < 0.001), and parental mental health issues (β = -0.45, t = -9.00, p < 0.001) were significant predictors of lower QoL. ANOVA results showed that children with severe autism symptoms had the lowest QoL scores (mean = 40.12, SD = 15.67; F = 20.45, p < 0.001, η² = 0.45).

Conclusion: Children with ASD showed significantly lower QoL, particularly in social and school functioning, highlighting the need for targeted interventions addressing core symptoms and environmental and family factors to improve outcomes.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder; comorbid conditions; pediatric; quality of life; socioeconomic status; symptom severity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Correlation heatmap of key factors influencing quality of life in children with ASD.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Quality of life in children with ASD by severity of symptoms.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Joon P, Kumar A, Parle M. What is autism? Pharmacol Rep. (2021) 73:1255–64. doi: 10.1007/s43440-021-00244-0 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gandhi T, Lee CC. Neural mechanisms underlying repetitive behaviors in rodent models of autism spectrum disorders. Front Cell Neurosci. (2021) 14:592710. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2020.592710 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tobin MC, Drager KD, Richardson LF. A systematic review of social participation for adults with autism spectrum disorders: Support, social functioning, and quality of life. Res Autism Spectr Disord. (2014) 8:214–29. doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2013.12.002 - DOI
    1. Sáez-Suanes GP, Álvarez-Couto M. Factors associated with quality of life in adults with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Rev J Autism Dev Disord. (2021) 9:1–13. doi: 10.1007/s40489-021-00254-x - DOI
    1. Mutluer T, Aslan Genç H, Özcan Morey A, Yapici Eser H, Ertinmaz B, Can M, et al. . Population-based psychiatric comorbidity in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry. (2022) 13:856208. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.856208 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources