title: A comparison of families of children with autism spectrum disorders in family daily routines, service usage, and stress levels by regionality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore whether family routines, service usage, and stress levels in families of children with autism spectrum disorder differ as a function of regionality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary analysis of data was undertaken from 535 surveys. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate differences between families living in densely populated (DP) areas and less densely populated (LDP) areas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Families living in LDP areas were found to: (1) have reduced employment hours (a two-parent household: Exp (B) = 3.48, p < .001, a single-parent household: Exp (B) = 3.32, p = .011); (2) travel greater distance to access medical facilities (Exp (B) = 1.27, p = .006); and (3) report less severe stress levels (Exp (B) = 0.22, p = .014).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were no differences in family routines; however, flexible employment opportunities and travel distance to medical services need to be considered in families living in LDP areas.
authors.affiliation: a School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work, Faculty of Health Sciences , Curtin University , Perth , Australia.
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McAuliffe
authors.affiliation: a School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work, Faculty of Health Sciences , Curtin University , Perth , Australia.
authors.forename: Sharmila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.affiliation: a School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work, Faculty of Health Sciences , Curtin University , Perth , Australia.|b School of Occupational Therapy , La Trobe University , Melbourne , VIC , Australia.|c Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Medicine and Health Sciences (IMH), Faculty of Health Sciences , Linköping University & Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, UHL, County Council , Linköping , Sweden.|d Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Autism CRC) , Long Pocket, Brisbane , Australia.
authors.forename: Torbjörn
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0756-6862
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Falkmer
authors.affiliation: a School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work, Faculty of Health Sciences , Curtin University , Perth , Australia.
authors.forename: Reinie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cordier
mesh_terms: D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004651:Employment; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: ASD; employment status; regional and remote; travel distance