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Friday, May 8, 2009
Northwest Hall (Chicago Hilton)
10:00 AM
Background: Families of children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) frequently engage in the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine(CAM). Little information is available about frequency and types of CAM used in an inner city, ethnically diverse population and associations with specific child co-morbid symptoms or parental stress.
Objectives: To examine the use of CAM therapy in a group of families of children with an ASD and to assess the relationship of CAM with feeding, gastrointestinal, sleeping and behavioral difficulties and parenting stress.
Methods: Cross sectional study with structured interview in 100 children with prior diagnosis of ASD. Interview includes: CAM questionnaire, Gastrointestinal (GI)Questionnaire, Childs Sleep Habits Questionnaire, Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Parenting Stress Index(PSI). Statistical analysis included chi-square, t test, Pearson Correlation and Linear Regression.
Results: To date we have recruited 41 children, mean age 8 3 yr. Families self identified as 15% White, 44% Hispanic and 24% African-American. Use of CAM was reported in 66 % of the sample, including supplements (44%), sensory integration (37%) and gluten-casein free diet (29%). The number of different CAM therapies used ranged from 0 to 8. Compared to White mothers, Hispanic mothers used fewer types of CAM therapies (3.2 vs. 1.2 p=0.02); this association persisted after adjusting for level of maternal education. CAM use was associated with higher levels of parental concerns about ASD diagnosis (r=0.3 p=0.03), and with parental stress, as measured by PSI (r=0.3 p=0.04). If the child had at least one behavioral problem as measured by the ABC, family was more likely to use more types of CAM (1.2 vs. 0.2 p=0.01). No association was observed with time since diagnosis of ASD, food selectivity, GI symptoms or sleeping problems.
Conclusions: At least 66% of an inner city, ethnically diverse population of families of children with ASD engaged in CAM therapy. In our cohort, the use of CAM seems to be related to ethnicity (reduced frequency in Hispanic families), parental concerns about childs diagnosis, parental stress and child behavioral problems.
Objectives: To examine the use of CAM therapy in a group of families of children with an ASD and to assess the relationship of CAM with feeding, gastrointestinal, sleeping and behavioral difficulties and parenting stress.
Methods: Cross sectional study with structured interview in 100 children with prior diagnosis of ASD. Interview includes: CAM questionnaire, Gastrointestinal (GI)Questionnaire, Childs Sleep Habits Questionnaire, Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Parenting Stress Index(PSI). Statistical analysis included chi-square, t test, Pearson Correlation and Linear Regression.
Results: To date we have recruited 41 children, mean age 8 3 yr. Families self identified as 15% White, 44% Hispanic and 24% African-American. Use of CAM was reported in 66 % of the sample, including supplements (44%), sensory integration (37%) and gluten-casein free diet (29%). The number of different CAM therapies used ranged from 0 to 8. Compared to White mothers, Hispanic mothers used fewer types of CAM therapies (3.2 vs. 1.2 p=0.02); this association persisted after adjusting for level of maternal education. CAM use was associated with higher levels of parental concerns about ASD diagnosis (r=0.3 p=0.03), and with parental stress, as measured by PSI (r=0.3 p=0.04). If the child had at least one behavioral problem as measured by the ABC, family was more likely to use more types of CAM (1.2 vs. 0.2 p=0.01). No association was observed with time since diagnosis of ASD, food selectivity, GI symptoms or sleeping problems.
Conclusions: At least 66% of an inner city, ethnically diverse population of families of children with ASD engaged in CAM therapy. In our cohort, the use of CAM seems to be related to ethnicity (reduced frequency in Hispanic families), parental concerns about childs diagnosis, parental stress and child behavioral problems.