Voice disorders in Nigerian primary school teachers

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Speech and Hearing Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Prolonged voice use can cause vocal fatigue and vocal fold damage.
• School teachers face intensive voice use, increasing their risk of dysphonia.
• Dysphonia is a voice disorder characterized by hoarseness, throat clearing, voice fatigue, or strained speech.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of voice disorders (dysphonia) among primary school teachers in Lagos, Nigeria.
• To identify associated risk factors for dysphonia in this population.

Main Methods:

• A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from teaching and non-teaching staff in 19 primary schools.
• Information gathered included personal lifestyles, work environment, and voice disorder symptoms.
• Dysphonia was defined by the presence of hoarseness, repetitive throat clearing, tired voice, or straining to speak.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of dysphonia was 42% in teachers, significantly higher than the 18% in non-teaching staff.
• Teachers reported voice symptoms impacting their communication effectiveness.
• Key risk factors identified were regular caffeinated drink intake (OR=3.07), frequent upper respiratory tract infections (OR=3.60), and habitually raising the voice while teaching (OR=10.1).

Conclusions:

• Nigerian primary school teachers are at significant risk for developing dysphonia.
• Environmental and personal factors such as upper respiratory infections, frequent voice raising, and regular caffeinated beverage consumption are linked to dysphonia.
• Dysphonia prevalence was not associated with teacher age or years of teaching experience.