PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Basma A. Al-Jabri
AU  - Refal M. Abualhamael
AU  - Maryam T. Al Hazza
AU  - Salwa A. Bahabri
AU  - Yara M. Alamri
AU  - Bayan M. Alghamdi
TI  - Quality of life of caregivers of autistic children in Saudi Arabia: Cross-sectional study
AID  - 10.17712/nsj.2022.3.20210141
DP  - 2022 Jul 01
TA  - Neurosciences Journal
PG  - 150--155
VI  - 27
IP  - 3
4099  - http://nsj.org.sa/content/27/3/150.short
4100  - http://nsj.org.sa/content/27/3/150.full
SO  - Neurosciences (Riyadh)2022 Jul 01; 27
AB  - Objectives: To assess the impact on quality of life (QOL) caused by caring for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and examine the impact according to provincial residence.Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional study conducted from May to July 2019 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah. Eight hundred and twelve participants were included and divided equally into caregivers of children with and without ASDs. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed via autism associations and parental support groups across all 13 Saudi Arabian provinces.Results: Caregivers of children with ASDs showed lower scores in most quality-of-life domains compared with those of caregivers of children without ASDs (p<0.05, except for one domain). The impacts of additional factors were considered, including the caregivers’ age, the relation of the caregiver to the child, the specific province of residence, and the provision of medical services.Conclusion: A significant negative correlation was found between caregiving for children with ASDs and quality-of-life scores.