title: Are maternal social networks and perceptions of trust associated with suspected autism spectrum disorder in offspring? A population-based study in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the associations of maternal social networks and perceptions of trust with the prevalence of suspected autism spectrum disorders in 18-month-old offspring in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaires included measurements of maternal social networks (number of relatives or friends they could call upon for assistance), maternal perceptions of trust, mutual assistance (i.e. individual measures of "cognitive social capital"), and social participation (i.e. individual measures of "structural social capital") as well as the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers to detect suspected autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These tools were mailed to all families with 18-month-old toddlers in Chiba, a city near Tokyo (N = 6061; response rate: 64%). The association between social capital or social network indicators and suspected ASD were analyzed, adjusted for covariates by logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low maternal social trust was found to be significantly positively associated with suspected ASD in toddlers compared with high maternal social trust (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.82, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.38 to 2.40); mutual aid was also significantly positively related (low vs. high: OR, 2.08, 95% CI: 1.59 to 2.73 [corrected]). However, maternal community participation showed U-shape association with suspected ASD of offspring. Maternal social network showed consistent inverse associations with suspected ASD of offspring, regardless of the type of social connection (e.g., relatives, neighbors, or friends living outside of their neighborhood).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mothers' cognitive social capital and social networks, but not structural social capital, might be associated with suspected ASD in offspring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.affiliation: Department of Society and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawachi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010465:Perception; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult