Gender Differences in the Impact of Stuttering: Evidence from Chinese Adults

Introduction: Gender differences in the experience of stuttering have been documented in several Western contexts, where women often report greater psychosocial impact than men. However, little quantitative evidence exists from non-Western cultures, particularly China, where gender norms and communication expectations differ markedly. This study examined gender differences in the multidimensional impact of stuttering among Chinese adults using the Simplified Chinese version of the Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering–Adult (OASES-A-SC). Methods: Participants were 340 adults who stutter, recruited from a large online self-help community in mainland China. All completed the OASES-A-SC and a demographic questionnaire. Multiple linear regression models were conducted for the Overall Impact Score and each OASES section, with gender, self-rated stuttering severity, age, therapy history, support-group participation and educational level entered as predictors. Item-level gender differences were examined using Common Language (CL) effect sizes for all 100 OASES items. Results: Self-rated stuttering severity was the strongest predictor of impact across all sections. Support-group participation was consistently associated with lower adverse impact. In the full models with multiple covariates, gender significantly predicted the Overall Impact Score, Section I (General Information), and Section II (Reactions to Stuttering), with men reporting slightly higher impact than women. Gender did not significantly predict Section III (Daily Communication) or Section IV (Quality of Life). Item-level CL analyses revealed that most items showed negligible to small gender differences (CL = .50–.58). Only five items—four involving socially visible daily interactions and one involving societal participation—reached borderline-moderate effects (CL slightly above .60), with men reporting greater difficulty. No item reached a large effect size. Conclusions: Gender differences in the stuttering experience among Chinese adults were modest, context-specific, and embedded in cultural expectations rather than broad or pervasive. Patterns diverged from Western findings in which women often report greater psychosocial burden. In China’s higher-masculinity cultural context, fluent, assertive public communication is more strongly expected of men, which may heighten their reported impact in socially demanding situations. The overall high impact levels observed in this sample may also compress gender differences. These findings underscore the importance of culturally and gender-sensitive assessment and intervention, and highlight the value of peer support, especially in contexts with limited access to professional services.