Larger reported impact of stuttering in teenage females, compared to males – a comparison of teenagers’ result on Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering (OASES)

Abstract Purpose The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the impact and experience of stuttering, and attitude to communication for female and male teenagers who stutter (TWS) in comparison with teenagers with no stutter (TWNS). Methods The Swedish version of the Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering (OASES-T-S), was administered to 56 TWS, 13 -17 years old (26 females, 30 males). An adapted version of OASES, Attitude to Speech and Communication (ASC), was administered to 233 TWNS. The impact scores were analyzed in relation to sex in TWS and TWNS. Results Female TWS reported that stuttering had a greater impact on their life than it did on male TWS (on average 0.5 higher impact scores; Hedges’ g = 0.87). The differences did not seem to be caused by differences in severity of overt stuttering symptoms. Female and male TWS particularly differed on items related to difficulties in day-to-day communication and affective/behavioral reactions to stuttering. Such sex differences were not as pronounced among TWNS, suggesting that teenage women may be more vulnerable to the negative impact of stuttering than men the same age. Conclusion Female teenagers report more negative experiences and a greater tendency to use avoidance strategies than male teenagers.