Clinical, socio-demographic, and parental correlates of early autism traits in a community cohort of toddlers

Abstract Identifying factors linked to autism traits in the general population may improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying divergent neurodevelopment. In this study we assess whether factors increasing the likelihood of childhood autism are related to early autistic trait emergence, o...

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Main Authors: Oliver Gale-Grant, Andrew Chew, Shona Falconer, Lucas G. S. França, Sunniva Fenn-Moltu, Laila Hadaya, Nicholas Harper, Judit Ciarrusta, Tony Charman, Declan Murphy, Tomoki Arichi, Grainne McAlonan, Chiara Nosarti, A. David Edwards, Dafnis Batalle
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-04-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-58907-w
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author Oliver Gale-Grant
Andrew Chew
Shona Falconer
Lucas G. S. França
Sunniva Fenn-Moltu
Laila Hadaya
Nicholas Harper
Judit Ciarrusta
Tony Charman
Declan Murphy
Tomoki Arichi
Grainne McAlonan
Chiara Nosarti
A. David Edwards
Dafnis Batalle
author_facet Oliver Gale-Grant
Andrew Chew
Shona Falconer
Lucas G. S. França
Sunniva Fenn-Moltu
Laila Hadaya
Nicholas Harper
Judit Ciarrusta
Tony Charman
Declan Murphy
Tomoki Arichi
Grainne McAlonan
Chiara Nosarti
A. David Edwards
Dafnis Batalle
author_sort Oliver Gale-Grant
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Identifying factors linked to autism traits in the general population may improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying divergent neurodevelopment. In this study we assess whether factors increasing the likelihood of childhood autism are related to early autistic trait emergence, or if other exposures are more important. We used data from 536 toddlers from London (UK), collected at birth (gestational age at birth, sex, maternal body mass index, age, parental education, parental language, parental history of neurodevelopmental conditions) and at 18 months (parents cohabiting, measures of socio-economic deprivation, measures of maternal parenting style, and a measure of maternal depression). Autism traits were assessed using the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) at 18 months. A multivariable model explained 20% of Q-CHAT variance, with four individually significant variables (two measures of parenting style and two measures of socio-economic deprivation). In order to address variable collinearity we used principal component analysis, finding that a component which was positively correlated with Q-CHAT was also correlated to measures of parenting style and socio-economic deprivation. Our results show that parenting style and socio-economic deprivation correlate with the emergence of autism traits at age 18 months as measured with the Q-CHAT in a community sample.
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spelling doaj.art-f25dc506f84c4d39a1352a28052335da2024-04-14T11:13:05ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-04-0114111210.1038/s41598-024-58907-wClinical, socio-demographic, and parental correlates of early autism traits in a community cohort of toddlersOliver Gale-Grant0Andrew Chew1Shona Falconer2Lucas G. S. França3Sunniva Fenn-Moltu4Laila Hadaya5Nicholas Harper6Judit Ciarrusta7Tony Charman8Declan Murphy9Tomoki Arichi10Grainne McAlonan11Chiara Nosarti12A. David Edwards13Dafnis Batalle14Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonCentre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College LondonCentre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College LondonDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonCentre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College LondonCentre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College LondonDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonCentre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College LondonDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonCentre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College LondonCentre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King’s College LondonDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonAbstract Identifying factors linked to autism traits in the general population may improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying divergent neurodevelopment. In this study we assess whether factors increasing the likelihood of childhood autism are related to early autistic trait emergence, or if other exposures are more important. We used data from 536 toddlers from London (UK), collected at birth (gestational age at birth, sex, maternal body mass index, age, parental education, parental language, parental history of neurodevelopmental conditions) and at 18 months (parents cohabiting, measures of socio-economic deprivation, measures of maternal parenting style, and a measure of maternal depression). Autism traits were assessed using the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) at 18 months. A multivariable model explained 20% of Q-CHAT variance, with four individually significant variables (two measures of parenting style and two measures of socio-economic deprivation). In order to address variable collinearity we used principal component analysis, finding that a component which was positively correlated with Q-CHAT was also correlated to measures of parenting style and socio-economic deprivation. Our results show that parenting style and socio-economic deprivation correlate with the emergence of autism traits at age 18 months as measured with the Q-CHAT in a community sample.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-58907-w
spellingShingle Oliver Gale-Grant
Andrew Chew
Shona Falconer
Lucas G. S. França
Sunniva Fenn-Moltu
Laila Hadaya
Nicholas Harper
Judit Ciarrusta
Tony Charman
Declan Murphy
Tomoki Arichi
Grainne McAlonan
Chiara Nosarti
A. David Edwards
Dafnis Batalle
Clinical, socio-demographic, and parental correlates of early autism traits in a community cohort of toddlers
Scientific Reports
title Clinical, socio-demographic, and parental correlates of early autism traits in a community cohort of toddlers
title_full Clinical, socio-demographic, and parental correlates of early autism traits in a community cohort of toddlers
title_fullStr Clinical, socio-demographic, and parental correlates of early autism traits in a community cohort of toddlers
title_full_unstemmed Clinical, socio-demographic, and parental correlates of early autism traits in a community cohort of toddlers
title_short Clinical, socio-demographic, and parental correlates of early autism traits in a community cohort of toddlers
title_sort clinical socio demographic and parental correlates of early autism traits in a community cohort of toddlers
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-58907-w
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