Hoarseness among school teachers: A cross-sectional study from Dammam

Voice disorders are known to be a serious occupational hazard for teachers. Compared to the general population, teachers have a greater risk of developing hoarseness of voice. The prevalence of voice disorders in teachers is 20%-50%. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no study in Saudi Arabia (SA) on the prevalence of hoarseness in teachers.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 13 randomly selected schools at different levels of education in Khobar, SA, between February 2016 and March 2016. Data collected included demographic data, comorbidity, smoking, school type, laryngopharyngeal reflux, hearing problems, common cold, family history, number of students, and stress. The study included teachers who were actively teaching. Teachers with laryngeal cancer and those who were not actively teaching as well as those who were on sick leave were all excluded from the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.

Out of 400 surveys distributed, 187 teachers responded; mean age of teachers was 42.5 years and 55.1% were females. The percentage of teachers who subjectively complained of hoarseness was 27%; teachers in public schools had a higher prevalence of hoarseness than teachers in private schools. The greater the number of students per class, the more likely it was for the teacher to develop hoarseness (P = 0.038). The factors statistically significantly associated with hoarseness included smoking, acid reflux, family history of hoarseness, and work-related stress.

Prevalence of hoarseness in teachers is high owing to a combination of multiple associated factors, many of which can be controlled.