The possible relation between stigma, parent psychiatric symptoms, quality of life and the disease burden in families of children with autism spectrum disorder in Egypt: a multicentre study

Table 1 Demographic characteristics of the studied sample

Variables	Caregivers of moderate burden (N = 27)		Caregivers of severe burden (N = 43)		Total (N = 70)		P value
Variables	N	%	N	%	N	%	P value
Gender of caregivers
Father	14	51.9%	16	37.2%	30	42.9%	0.32
Mother	13	48.1%	27	62.8%	40	57.1%	0.32
Age of caregivers
30–35 years	20	74.1%	25	58.1%	45	64.3%	0.2
36–41 years	7	25.9%	18	41.9%	25	35.7%	0.2
Mean ± SD	34.37 ± 2.7		35.88 ± 2.32		35.32 ± 2.65		0.01*
Numbers of years of education
8 years	0	0%	2	4.7%	2	2.9%	0.22
11 years	8	29.6%	18	41.9%	26	37.1%
15 years	15	55.6%	17	39.5%	32	45.7%
17 years	4	14.8%	6	14%	10	14.3%
Mean ± SD	14.11 ± 2.17		13.18 ± 2.49		13.44 ± 2.40		0.11
Work of caregivers
Work	15	55.6%	29	67.4%	44	62.9%	0.32
No work	12	44.4%	14	32.6%	26	37.1%	0.32
Gender of child
Male	15	55.6%	22	51.2%	37	52.9%	0.72
Female	12	44.4%	21	48.8%	33	47.1%	0.72
Age of child
5–8 years	27	100%	13	30.2%	40	57.1%	0.000*
9–12 years	0	0%	30	69.8%	30	42.9%	0.000*
Mean ± SD	6.48 ± 1.34		9.30 ± 1.87		8.21 ± 2.17		0.000*
The severity of the disease for child
Moderate	19	70.8%	8	18.6%	27	38.6%	0.000*
Severe	8	29.6%	35	81.4%	43	61.4%
Duration of the disease for child
2-5 years	25	92.6%	10	23.3%	35	50%	0.000*
6-9 years	2	7.4%	33	76.7%	35	50%	0.000*
Mean ± SD	3.48 ± 1.34		6.30 ± 1.87		5.21 ± 2.17		0.000*