Knowledge and Practice Regarding Vocal Hygiene Among Teachers of Selected Schools, Kathmandu

Vocal hygiene (VH) is the practice of taking care of the voice and minimizing strain on it. This comprises avoiding smoking, alcohol, and other harmful substances, remaining hydrated, and practicing proper breathing techniques. This study intended to evaluate the level of knowledge and practices concerning VH.

A cross-sectional study design was utilized to conduct the study among teachers in Greenland Higher Secondary School, Basundhara National Academy, and Nirmal Batika Academy using a self-administered structured questionnaire. A sample of 122 teachers was taken using a complete enumerative sampling technique. The data were collected from October 1 to October 16 and were edited, coded, and entered into the Statistical Package for Social Science for further analysis. Data were examined using descriptive (frequency, percentage mean, and standard deviation), inferential statistics (chi-square test), and Karl Pearson's test.

The study results presented that nearly half, 49.2% of the respondents, had a moderate level of knowledge, 31.1% had an inadequate level of knowledge, and 19.7% had an adequate level of knowledge regarding VH. The results discovered that 73% of the respondents had good practice, and 27% had poor practice regarding VH. There was a statistically significant association only between the level of knowledge regarding VH and the number of classes taken per week (P = 0.0053).

The study showed that the majority of teachers have moderate knowledge about VH, whereas there is good practice among teachers. The results strongly recommend the need for VH training sessions for teachers.