Skip to main content

Table 2 Group differences between low and high CSI, diagnosed CSS and no diagnosis, men and women

From: Autism and chronic ill health: an observational study of symptoms and diagnoses of central sensitivity syndromes in autistic adults

Measure

Group

No CSS

Diagnosed CSS

Low CSI

High CSI

Men

Women

CSI

N

765

208

391

582

410

563

Mean (SD)

40.4 (14.65)

55.3 (13.41)

28.4 (8.46)

53.8 (10.04)

37.1 (14.94)

48.3 (14.39)

T Test

t (971) =  − 13.214

p < .001**

t (971) =  − 41.164

p < .001**

t (971) =  − 11.774

p < .001**

d, 95% CI [LL UL]

1.06***, [− 17.08 − 12.67]

2.74***, [− 26.61 − 24.19]

0.76**, [− 13.04 − 9.32]

AQ-short

N

765

208

391

582

410

563

Mean (SD)

83.3 (10.92)

85.0 (10.69)

81.2 (11.15)

85.3 (10.40)

83.4 (11.61)

83.8 (10.34)

T Test

t (971) =  − 2.113

p = .035

t (971) =  − 5.830

p < .001**

t (971) =  − .499

p = .618

d, 95% CI [LL UL]

N/A, [− 3.46 − 0.13]

0.38*, [− 5.46 − 2.71]

N/A, [− 1.74 1.04]

SPQ

N

313

80

173

220

186

207

Mean (SD)

45.9 (15.00)

38.3 (13.80)

50.5 (14.89)

39.5 (13.40)

47.1 (15.50)

41.8 (14.24)

T Test

t (391) = 4.133

p < .001**

t (391) = 7.628

p < .001**

t (391) = 3.539

p < .001**

d, 95% CI [LL UL]

0.53**, [4.01 11.28]

0.77**, [8.10 13.72]

0.36*, [2.36 8.26]

HADS-A

N

507

129

276

360

276

360

Mean (SD)

9.2 (4.37)

11.7 (4.12)

7.3 (3.89)

11.5 (3.92)

8.5 (4.55)

10.5 (4.14)

T Test

t (634) =  − 5.832

p < .001**

t (634) =  − 13.584

p < .001**

t (634) =  − 5.809

p < .001**

d, 95% CI [LL UL]

0.58**, [− 3.32 − 1.65]

1.09***, [− 4.86 − 3.63]

0.46**, [− 2.69 − 1.33]

HADS-D

N

507

129

276

360

276

360

Mean (SD)

7.0 (4.83)

9.2 (4.79)

5.5 (4.28)

9.0 (4.82)

7.1 (4.99)

7.7 (4.83)

T Test

t (634) =  − 4.734

p < .001**

t (634) =  − 9.411

p < .001**

t (634) =  − 1.597

p = .111

d, 95% CI [LL UL]

0.47**, [− 3.19 − 1.32]

0.76**, [− 4.18 − 2.74]

N/A, [− 1.40 0.14]

Physical Health

N

765

208

391

582

410

563

Mean (SD)

6.6 (1.47)

5.2 (1.52)

7.1 (1.21)

5.8 (1.57)

6.6 (1.55)

6.1 (1.59)

T Test

t (971) = 12.121

p < .001**

t (971) = 14.486

p < .001**

t (971) = 4.228

p < .001**

d, 95% CI [LL UL]

0.94***, [1.17 1.63]

0.97***, [1.18 1.55]

0.28*, [0.23 0.63]

Subjective Wellbeing

N

336

82

185

233

199

219

Mean (SD)

29.9 (8.03)

25.6 (7.39)

32.6 (7.33)

26.2 (7.53)

30.4 (8.53)

27.8 (7.45)

T Test

t (416) = 4.362

p < .001**

t (416) = 8.655

p < .001**

t (416) = 3.289

p = .001*

d, 95% CI [LL UL]

0.55**, [2.33 6.16]

0.85***, [4.90 7.78]

0.32*, [1.03 4.11]

  1. Bonferroni corrected p value = .002. *p < .002; **p < .001. Effect size d *small effect; **medium; ***large
  2. CSI, Central Sensitization Inventory; SPQ, Sensory Perception Quotient; AQ-Short, Autism Quotient-Short; HADS-A, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety; HADS-D, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression