International Journal of Preventive Medicine (Int J Prev Med)2008-78021082019092821202120ENSocial Determinants of Health Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, YasujStudent Research Committee, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, YasujDepartment of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, YasujDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj20190904<p><span><strong>Background: </strong><span>Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a life ‑long neurodevelopmental disorder and <span>significantly influences the quality of life in children. The screening of ASD in children aged <span>between 16‑30 months to early detection and early intervention for better prognosis. </span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><strong>Methods: </strong><span>This <span>cross‑sectional study was conducted in the southwest of Iran (Yasuj) with dominant Lore ethnicity <span>in 2017. A total of 1504 mother‑ child pairs with children aged between 16‑30 months were selected <span>through simple random sampling from the integrated national health system as the framework. <span>ASD screening was implemented using the Modified checklist for autism in toddlers‑ revised, <span>with follow‑up interview (M‑CHAT‑R/F). Demographic data such as sex of children, and parental <span>age at their time of pregnancy were collected for all children. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong>Results: </strong><span>Risk of ASD was low, <span>moderate and high in 1447 (96.2%), 54 (3.6%) and 3 (0.2%) in screening, respectively. The <span>estimated rate of ASD prevalence was 80 per 10000 (12 out of 1504) or 1 in 125. Mother’s <span>age ≥35 (<span><em>P </em><span>value = 0.002, OR = 11.65, CI<span>95%<span>: 2.49‑54.35) and father’s age ≥40 (<span><em>P </em><span>value = 0.0001, <span>OR = 19.64, CI <span>95%<span>: 4.89‑78.82) were predicting factors of ASD in toddlers aged 16‑30 months.<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong>Conclusions: </strong><span>Given that, increasing the age of marriage in Iran and recent trend towards delayed <span>childbearing; children born to older parents are at a higher risk for having ASD. So, increasing the <span>public awareness is necessary.<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong>Keywords: </strong><span><em>Autism spectrum disorder, mass screening, parent</em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>http://ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/view/2120http://ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/download/2120/717717987