Influence of Noise Resulting From the Location and Conditions of Classrooms and Schools in Upper Egypt on Teachers' Voices

Abstract

Teachers are professional voice users, always at high risk of developing voice disorders due to high vocal demand and unfavorable environmental conditions. This study aimed at identifying possible correlations between teachers' voice symptoms and their perception of noise, the location of schools, as well as the location and conditions of their classrooms. One hundred forty teachers (ages 21-56) from schools in Upper Egypt participated in this study. They filled out a questionnaire including questions about the severity and frequency of their voice symptoms, noise perception, and the location and conditions of their schools and classrooms. Questionnaire responses were statistically analyzed to identify possible correlations. There were significant correlations (P < 0.05) between voice symptoms, teachers' noise perception, and noise resulting from the location and conditions of schools and classrooms. Teachers experienced severe dysphonia, neck pain, and increased vocal effort with weekly or daily recurrence. Among the teachers who participated in the study, 24.2% felt they were always in a noisy environment, with 51.4% of the total participants reporting having to raise their voices. The most common sources of noise were from student activities and talking in the teachers' own classrooms (61.4%), noise from adjacent classrooms (52.9%), and road traffic (40.7%). Adverse effect on teachers' voices due to noise from poor school and classroom conditions necessitates solutions for the future improvement of conditions in Egyptian schools. This study may help future studies that focus on developing guidelines for the better planning of Egyptian schools in terms of improved infrastructure and architecture, thus considering the general and vocal health of teachers.