New Findings in Autism Described from University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine (Neighborhood Disadvantage and Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Population With Health Insurance): Developmental Diseases and Conditions – Autism

2023 DEC 05 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Researchers detail new data in autism. According to news reporting out of the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Importance: Family socioeconomic status has been associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses. Less is known regarding the role of neighborhood disadvantage in the United States, particularly when children have similar access to health insurance. To evaluate the association between neighborhood disadvantage and the diagnosis of ASD and potential effect modification by maternal and child demographic characteristics.”

Our news reporters obtained a quote from the research from University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine: “Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study examined a retrospective birth cohort from Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC), an integrated health care system. Children born in 2001 to 2014 at KPSC were followed up through KPSC membership records. Electronic medical records were used to obtain an ASD diagnosis up to December 31, 2019, or the last follow-up. Data were analyzed from February 2022 to September 2023. Exposure: Socioeconomic disadvantage at the neighborhood level, an index derived from 7 US census tract characteristics using principal component analysis. Main Outcomes and Measures: Clinical ASD diagnosis based on electronic medical records. Associations between neighborhood disadvantage and ASD diagnosis were determined by hazard ratios (HRs) from Cox regression models adjusted for birth year, child sex, maternal age at delivery, parity, severe prepregnancy health conditions, maternal race and ethnicity, and maternal education. Effect modification by maternal race and ethnicity, maternal education, and child sex was assessed. Among 318 372 mothers with singleton deliveries during the study period, 6357 children had ASD diagnoses during follow-up; their median age at diagnosis was 3.53 years (IQR, 2.57-5.34 years). Neighborhood disadvantage was associated with a higher likelihood of ASD diagnosis (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11, per IQR = 2.70 increase). Children of mothers from minoritized racial and ethnic groups (African American or Black, Asian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latinx groups) had increased likelihood of ASD diagnosis compared with children of White mothers. There was an interaction between maternal race and ethnicity and neighborhood disadvantage (difference in log-likelihood = 21.88; P < .001 for interaction under ch²₄); neighborhood disadvantage was only associated with ASD among children of White mothers (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.09-1.26, per IQR = 2.00 increase).”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Maternal education and child sex did not significantly modify the neighborhood-ASD association. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, children residing in more disadvantaged neighborhoods at birth had higher likelihood of ASD diagnosis among a population with health insurance. Future research is warranted to investigate the mechanisms behind the neighborhood-related disparities in ASD diagnosis, alongside efforts to provide resources for early intervention and family support in communities with a higher likelihood of ASD.”

For more information on this research see: Neighborhood Disadvantage and Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Population With Health Insurance. JAMA Psychiatry, 2023. The publisher for JAMA Psychiatry is American Medical Association (AMA).

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.4347.

Our news journalists report that more information may be obtained by contacting Md Mostafijur Rahman, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Additional authors for this research include Xin Yu, Sarah A. Carter, Jane C. Lin, Ting Chow, Frederick W. Lurmann, Jiu-Chiuan Chen, Mayra P. Martinez, Joel Schwartz, Sandrah P. Eckel, Zhanghua Chen, Rob McConnell, Anny H. Xiang, Daniel A. Hackman.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)