Comparison of quality of life in people who stutter and normal individuals

Background: Although recent findings suggest that stuttering as a chronic disorder has a substantial negative impact on quality of life (QOL), few systematic research has been conducted in this regard. The aim of this study was to compare the aspects of perceived QOL in people who stutter (PWS) and normal individuals.

Methods: In this case-control pilot study, a comparative study was done on  physical health, psychological health, social relationship and environmental aspects of QOL between 59 Kurdish-speaking PWS and 73 fluent speakers in Kermanshah, Iran. Standardized Persian versions of WHO QOL-BREF and a demographic questionnaire for data collection were employed. Stuttering Severity was measured using a 7-point self-rating questionnaire. Data was analysed using independent-samples T-test, U Mann Whitney and bivariate correlation.

Results: In general, PWS had lower scores on physical health, psychological health and social relationship aspects of QOL compared to normal speakers. However except for physical health aspect of QOL, these differences were not statistically significant. According to the results of bivariate correlation in PWS, there was negatively significant correlation between severity of stuttering and three aspects of QOL including physical health, psychological healthand environment.

Conclusion: PWS showed lower physical health compared to their normal peers. Perhaps, this outcome highlights this assumption that physical aspects of QOL are more vulnerable to stuttering compared to the other aspects of daily life.