Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42458485›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2026

Knowledge and attitudes toward people who stutter among health sciences students: a cross-sectional study.

Samar Khalidi, Anas Hamadan, Rula Hanayshi, Dunya Abu Omar, Raghad Abo Zaid, Farah Oweinah, Rahaf Essa, Hala Jarrar, Saad Al-Lahham, Mustafa Ghanim and 5 more

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Article in BMC medical education, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Samar KhalidiDepartment of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box: 7, Nablus, Palestine.
Anas HamadanDepartment of Anesthesia and Resuscitation Technology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 7, Nablus, Palestine.
Rula HanayshiDepartment of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box: 7, Nablus, Palestine.
Dunya Abu OmarDepartment of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box: 7, Nablus, Palestine.
Raghad Abo ZaidDepartment of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box: 7, Nablus, Palestine.
Farah OweinahDepartment of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box: 7, Nablus, Palestine.
Rahaf EssaDepartment of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box: 7, Nablus, Palestine.
Hala JarrarDepartment of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box: 7, Nablus, Palestine.
Saad Al-LahhamDepartment of Biomedical Sciences and Basic Clinical Skills, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box: 7, Nablus, Palestine.
Mustafa GhanimDepartment of Biomedical Sciences and Basic Clinical Skills, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box: 7, Nablus, Palestine.
Mohammad AbuawadDepartment of Biomedical Sciences and Basic Clinical Skills, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box: 7, Nablus, Palestine.
Raghad DweikatDepartment of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box: 7, Nablus, Palestine.
Tala NazzalDepartment of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box: 7, Nablus, Palestine.
Maha RabayaaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences and Basic Clinical Skills, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box: 7, Nablus, Palestine.
Malik AlqubDepartment of Biomedical Sciences and Basic Clinical Skills, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box: 7, Nablus, Palestine. m.alqub@najah.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe social model of disability acknowledges that the difficulties faced by persons who stutter (PWS) stem not only from speech dysfluency but also from societal barriers, misconceptions, and stigmatizing attitudes that limit participation and inclusion. As future healthcare professionals, health sciences students play an important role in promoting early detection, proper referral, and supportive care. However, there is limited research about their knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes around stuttering, particularly in Palestine and underserved areas.

methodsA cross-sectional study was carried out on 603 students enrolled in 14 health-related fields at An-Najah National University in Palestine. Participants completed an online questionnaire that assessed their knowledge and attitudes toward stuttering. SPSS version 25 was used to conduct descriptive statistics and chi-square tests to investigate the relationships between responses and gender, residence, and academic discipline.

resultsSignificant misconceptions persisted even though the majority of participants acknowledged the significance of early identification (87.9%) and disputed the idea that stutterers are less intelligent (83.3%). Less than half (38.1%) were aware of nearby treatment facilities, and only 22.9% recognized stuttering as a genetic problem. Many participants thought stutterers were quiet or shy (69.5%), more susceptible to mental health issues (73.6%), and socially ignored (46.1%). Gender, place of residence, and academic discipline all showed significant disparities. While students from a number of other disciplines showed more doubt and misconceptions, students in audiology and speech consistently showed the highest levels of knowledge and more evidence-informed attitudes.

conclusionThis study reveals considerable knowledge gaps and persistent stigmatizing attitudes toward people who stutter among health sciences students, with marked disparities across disciplines. Targeted curricular interventions are warranted to address misconceptions about people who stutter.

Indexed as

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeStudents, Health OccupationsStutteringAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultHealth sciences studentsKnowledge and attitudeMisconceptionsStigmatizingStuttering

Identifiers

PMID42458485
PMCPMC13656491

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.