Male and Female Healthcare Trajectories in Autism: Are There Any Differences Considering Age at Diagnosis and Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities Status?

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to compare the healthcare trajectories (HCTs) 2 years after a first diagnosis of autism according to sex, age at diagnosis, and intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) status. This is a retrospective cohort study using health administrative data from Québec, Canada. The cohort included all individuals with a first diagnosis of autism registered by a physician between April 2012 and March 2015. HCTs were stratified by sex, presence of IDD, and age at diagnosis (youth, adult), and analyzed using state sequence analysis across healthcare settings, providers, and reasons for use. Our cohort included 5289 individuals, 76.6% were male, and 26.3% were adults at the time of diagnosis. The healthcare use decreased slightly over time, though intensity was higher in

SUBMITTER: Couture M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12384738 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature