Prevalence and Risk Factors of Voice Disorders in University Teaching Faculty Members: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Voice disorder is a multifactorial impairment. Several studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between voice problems and voice-related jobs. Therefore, professional voice users, including teachers, are at high risk of voice disorders, which threatens the employment positions. Also, the investigation of voice impairments among faculty members seems essential. The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of voice disorders in faculty members, its impact on the physical, emotional, and functional status of this job group, with and without voice disorders, and the correlation of voice disorders with some risk factors. Methods The participants of this study were 114 university teaching faculty members of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, with a mean age of 43.95±0.98 years. The current cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study used a demographic questionnaire and Voice Handicap Index (VHI) as the data collection instruments. In the present study, based on VHI test results, participants with a total VHI score greater than 14.5 are considered to have voice disorders. Results The prevalence of voice disorders among university teaching faculty members was 27.19%. There was a significant correlation between allergy and voice disorders (P= 0.04). Significant differences were also found between the two study groups in terms of the total score of the VHI and its subscales (P <0.001). Conclusions Considering the 27.19% prevalence of voice disorders among university teaching faculty members and its effect on the total VHI score, our results confirm that education, prevention, and treatment programs are critical to lessen the frequency of voice disorders related to teaching. However, it has been found that this job group with voice disorders is four times more likely to have allergies than those without voice disorder, which indicates the importance of controlling this problem.