Table 1 Sociodemographic characteristics of the study population and comparison of between children with and without ASD

Child factors

Child Age (years)

7.38 (3.35)

Child Age

 < 7 years old

 7–9 years old

 10–12 years old

64 (30.9)

66 (31.9)

77 (37.2)

0 (0.0)

17 (58.6)

12 (41.4)

64 (36.0)

49 (27.5)

65 (36.5)

Sex

 Male

 Female

132 (63.8)

75 (36.2)

18 (62.1)

11 (37.9)

114 (64.0)

64 (36.0)

Birth weight (g)

 < 1500

 1500–2499

 ≥ 2500

3 (1.4)

15 (7.2)

189 (91.3)

1 (3.4)

3 (10.3)

25 (86.2)

2 (1.1)

12 (6.7)

164 (92.1)

Gestational age

 < 37 weeks

 ≥ 37 weeks

17 (8.2)

190 (91.8)

5 (17.2)

24 (82.8)

12 (6.7)

166 (93.3)

Types of delivery

 Normal

 Instrumental delivery

 Caesarean section

171 (82.6)

2 (1.0)

34 (16.4)

22 (75.9)

0 (0.0)

7 (24.1)

149 (83.7)

2 (1.1)

27 (15.2)

Birth order

 First-born

 Second-or later-born

72 (34.8)

135 (65.2)

14 (48.3)

15 (51.7)

58 (32.6)

120 (67.4)

Sibling with ASD

 Yes

 No

13 (6.3)

194 (93.7)

1 (3.4)

28 (96.6)

12 (6.7)

166 (93.3)

Ethnicity

 Malay

 Chinese

 Others

200 (96.6)

5 (2.4)

2 (1.0)

29 (100.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

171 (96.1)

5 (2.8)

2 (1.1)

Immunisation status

 Complete

 Not complete

201 (97.1)

6 (2.9)

28 (96.6)

1 (3.4)

173 (97.2)

5 (2.8)

Having comorbidities

 Yes

 No

13 (6.3)

194 (93.7)

1 (3.4)

28 (96.6)

12 (6.7)

166 (93.3)

Parental factors

 Maternal age at child’s birth

  < 20

  20–39

  ≥ 40

10 (4.8)

180 (87.0)

17 (8.2)

4 (13.8)

22 (75.9)

3 (10.3)

6 (3.4)

158 (88.8)

14 (7.9)

 History of gestational diabetes

  Yes

  No

43 (20.8)

164 (79.2)

7 (24.1)

22 (75.9)

36 (20.2)

142 (79.8)

 History of hypertension in pregnancy

  Yes

  No

18 (8.7)

189 (91.3)

1 (3.4)

28 (96.6)

17 (9.6)

161 (90.4)

 Maternal educational level

  No formal education

  Primary

  Secondary

  Tertiary

5 (2.4)

23 (11.1)

119 (57.5)

60 (29.0)

1 (3.4)

5 (17.2)

16 (55.2)

7 (24.1)

4 (2.2)

18 (10.1)

103 (57.9)

53 (29.8)

 Paternal age at child’s birth

  < 20

  20–39

  ≥ 40

4 (1.9)

164 (79.2)

39 (18.8)

0 (0.0)

24 (82.8)

5 (17.2)

4 (2.2)

140 (78.7)

34 (19.1)

 Paternal educational level

  No formal education

  Primary

  Secondary

  Tertiary

20 (9.7)

23 (11.1)

114 (55.1)

50 (24.2)

0 (0.0)

7 (24.1)

16 (55.2)

6 (20.7)

20 (11.2)

16 (9.0)

98 (55.1)

44 (24.7)

 Household monthly income (RM)

  < 1000

  1000–2999

  3000–4999

  5000–6999

  ≥ 7000

61 (29.5)

93 (44.9)

32 (15.5)

12 (5.8)

9 (4.3)

5 (17.2)

16 (55.2)

6 (20.7)

2 (6.9)

0 (0.0)

56 (31.5)

77 (43.3)

26 (14.6)

10 (5.6)

9 (5.1)