PREVALENCE OF STUTTERING IN THE POPULATION OF SHERINGAL, DIR UPPER, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

The stuttering is disruptions in rhythm and fluency of speech or defect characterized by involuntary repetition of sounds, words or syllables and intermittent blocking or prolongation of sounds in human, Homo sapiens L. During the present survey, prevalence of stuttering was determined in the population of Sheringal, Dir Upper (DU) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan during June 2013-August 2014 by randomly distributing questionnaires (n=200) among the people of the study area, which explained everything about the stuttering. The study area, Sheringal was divided into 6 quadrates: Daramdala, Doki, Guryaal, Samang, Shahoor and Sia-Sheringal. Total numbers of stutterers were 59 in Sheringal, however, maximum and minimum numbers of stutterers were 15 in Samang, and 6 in Daramdala, respectively. Stuttering was found 63% in educated and 37% in illiterate families. No specific medicines were used to date, however, some traditional or common medicines were used such as honey 4.5%, black Niger (kalonji), Nigella sativa L 3%, surbex-T 3.5% and other was 2%. Different symptoms of stuttering were eye blanking, head jerking, lips drying and others, however, maximum and minimum symptoms were head jerking (12%) and lips drying (5%), respectively. Educational levels of stutterers were: literate, primary, lower secondary, secondary, college and university, however, maximum and minimum educational level was lower secondary (33%) and literate (8.5%), respectively. The ambitions of stutterers were maximum from teachers (10%) and minimum were from father (1%). The problems which were facing to stutterers such as people laughing, job problem, interview problem and other, however, people laughing was maximum (12%) and interview was minimum (2%) problem. Mostly stuttering was caused due to pressure, ambitions, inferiority complex, shame and miss response of the people. A thorough study of gender and congenital bases are necessary to be investigated.