Abstract
This study aims to investigate the relationship between current smoking and lifetime amount smoked and the incidence of dysphonia using data from a national cross-sectional survey that represents the Korean population. Subjects were 3,600 non-institutionalised civilian adults over the age of 19 (1,501 males and 2,099 females) who completed the laryngeal examination of the 2008 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). For lifetime amount smoked, subjects were classified as light smokers (≤26.7 pack years), medium smokers (26.7–40.5 pack years), heavy smokers (40.5–55.5 pack years), and very heavy smokers (55.5–156 pack years) based on pack years (packs smoked per day × years as a smoker). The odds ratio (OR) for the statistical test was presented using hierarchical logistic regression. When adjusted for covariates (age, gender, level of education, income, occupation, alcohol consumption and pain/discomfort during the last two weeks), current smokers had a 1.8 times (OR = 1.77, 95% CI [1.17–2.68]) higher risk for self-reported voice problems than non-smokers. Moreover, current smokers had a 1.6 times (OR = 1.56, 95% CI [1.02–2.38]) higher risk of laryngeal disorder (p < 0.05). In terms of pack years, very heavy smokers were significantly more likely to have laryngeal disorder, while self-reported voice problems were significantly more likely for heavy smokers but not very heavy smokers. The results of this study imply that chronic smoking has a significant relationship with dysphonia. Longitudinal studies are required in future work to verify the causality between lifetime smoking amount and dysphonia.
Highlights
The smoking rate of adults in Korea has been steadily decreasing for the last decade, the smoking rate of adult males in Korea as of 2008 is 46.1%, which is the highest among OECD countries (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2010)
Males had the highest percentage of heavy smokers and the lowest percentage of non-smokers, whereas females had the highest percentage of non-smokers and the lowest percentage of heavy smokers (p < 0.001)
As for occupation, non-smokers included the highest percentage of economically inactive individuals, while medium and heavy smokers included the highest percentage of manual laborers (p < 0.001)
Summary
The smoking rate of adults in Korea has been steadily decreasing for the last decade, the smoking rate of adult males in Korea as of 2008 is 46.1%, which is the highest among OECD countries (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2010). Smoking is a major risk factor that exerts a detrimental effect on vocal health. An acoustic analysis of the voices of smokers revealed that smokers have a lower fundamental frequency than non-smokers (Awan, 2011; Wiskirska-Woznica et al, 2004) and their vocal quality is unstable (Vincent & Gilbert, 2012). Smoking is known as a risk factor for laryngeal disorders. Chronic smoking is a major cause of laryngeal and oral cancer, and it is a risk factor for laryngeal keratosis, Reinke’s edema and laryngeal leukoplakia (Feierabend & Shahram, 2009; Gnjatic, Stankovic & Djukic, 2009; Schultz, 2011). For the prevention of dysphonia, risk factors must be identified and systematically managed
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
