Associations between self-rated stuttering severity and multidimensional stuttering impact

Prior research examining stuttering severity and the impact of stuttering has revealed inconsistent findings, partly due to differences in how severity is defined and measured. This study examined bivariate and covariate-adjusted associations between a global self-rated severity (SRS) measure and multidimensional stuttering impact measured by the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (OASES) among Chinese adults who stutter.

Data were collected via an anonymous online survey from 346 adults who stutter in China. Participants completed the Simplified Chinese OASES-Adults (OASES-A-SC) and a single-item 7-point SRS. Pearson correlations were used to test bivariate associations; multiple linear regression models examined whether SRS was associated with OASES outcomes after controlling for age, gender, speech therapy history, and support-group participation.

SRS was positively associated with the OASES Overall Impact Score and all four section scores (rs =.49-.67), with the strongest associations for the Overall Impact Score and Section III (Communication in Daily Situations). In adjusted models, SRS remained significantly associated with all OASES outcomes. Support-group participation was also associated with lower impact scores for most outcomes.

SRS was moderately to strongly associated with multidimensional stuttering impact, indicating that the two measures are related but should not be treated as interchangeable. Brief SRS measures may capture clinically meaningful aspects of lived experience and serve as a practical, speaker-centered complement to the OASES, especially in large-scale surveys and cross-cultural settings where clinician-administered severity assessment and calibrated listener-based estimates are less feasible.