Health-related quality of life in parents of school-age children with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism

Table 2 Physical (PCS-12) and Mental Component Summary (MCS-12) scores and PCS-12/MCS-12 differences between mothers and fathers of the AS/HFA and control groups

SF-12 score	AS/HFA group Mean (SD)	n	Control group Mean (SD)	n	β	SE	p	95% CI
1. Mothers' PCS-12	44.7 (10.8)	31	52.5 (7.4)	30	-8.5	2.4	.001	-13.3	-3.6
2. Mothers' MCS-12	49.1 (11.1)	31	52.0 (9.6)	30	-2.7	2.7	.32	-8.2	2.7
3. Fathers' PCS-12	49.8 (6.9)	30	53.0 (6.8)	29	-2.1	1.8	.24	-5.7	1.5
4. Fathers' MCS-12	51.3 (7.8)	30	53.6 (6.1)	29	-2.7	1.9	.16	-6.5	1.1
5. PCS-12 difference	4.7 (13.8)	29	-0.3 (9.1)	29	6.9	3.1	.03	0.6	13.2
6. MCS-12 difference	2.8 (11.7)	29	0.5 (11.0)	29	1.5	3.1	.64	-4.8	7.7

Each row is a separate Linear regression with the SF-12 score as the dependent variable. The independent variables were: group (AS/HFA vs. control), parental age, and child's age. Parental differences in the SF-12 scores (Items 5 and 6) were calculated as following: Fathers' PCS-12 (MCS-12) minus Mothers' PCS-12 (MCS-12). Positive value indicates better health for the father.

ISSN: 1477-7525