The association between self-perceived stuttering and social participation among older adults in Sweden: A population based cross-sectional study

Aims Social participation is an important determinant of health-related behaviours and health. Communication disorders such as stuttering may be associated with participation. Research concerning the association between stuttering and social participation among older adults is scarce. Therefore, the aim of this population-based cross-sectional study was to investigate associations between self-perceived stuttering and social participation among older adults. Methods Participants were 8,518 aged 55-80 years who answered a public health questionnaire in Scania in southernmost Sweden in 2012. In the questionnaire, items regarding self-perceived stuttering and social participation were included. Multiple logistic regressions were conducted exploring associations between self-perceived stuttering and social participation, adjusting for age, gender, country of birth, socioeconomic status (SES), language spoken at home, hearing and self-rated health. Results The prevalence of self-perceived stuttering was 1.9% among women and 3.3% among men. Each independent variable was significantly associated with low social participation, especially age, SES and self-rated health. Self-perceived stuttering was significantly associated with low social participation even after multiple adjustments, with odds ratio 1.82 (1.29-2.57) of low social participation after final multiple adjustments. Conclusions There was a significant relationship between self-perceived stuttering and low social participation among older adults. Self-perceived stuttering may thus contribute to low social participation in this age group, and may be considered in general health screens for older adults.