Open AccessParent Perceptions of Environmental Triggers for Autism: A community-Based Pilot Study among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Rural Settings
Author(s) -
Xu Liu,
Jo Anne G. Balanay
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
american journal of health studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1945-4511
pISSN - 1090-0500
DOI - 10.47779/ajhs.2019.37
Subject(s) - autism , perception , psychology , autism spectrum disorder , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , environmental health , medicine , neuroscience
Environmental factors have been increasingly identi ed as the cause of the current high prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Objective: The purpose of this study is to understand parents’ perceptions regarding environmental in uence and autism. Methods: We conducted individual, face-to-face interviews with parents of children with ASD in Eastern North Carolina. Results: Our sample is comprised of 25 parents of children with autism with an average age of 39.08 and 68% were mothers. Our data indicated that 19 (76%) parents believed that environmental factors impacted the development of their children’s autism, half of whom indicated >50% of influence. Among these environmental triggers, food and water (52%), air pollution (40%), pesticides and cleaning products (20%) were the most identied contributing factors associated with the onset of autism. Conclusions: Our findings reflected some unmet needs to improve parental awareness of environmental triggers of ASD.