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Published on: February 21, 2011
Incidence and nature of functional voice disorders
Yusra M Bhaila1, Jeannie Van der Linde, Carmen Milton
1Department of Speech Therapy and Audiology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Pretoria. yusrabhaila@gmail.com.
Background:
Functional voice disorders (FVDs) result from inefficient vocal use without an organic cause and have an underreported incidence.
Objectives:
This study aimed to investigate the incidence and nature of FVDs among treatment-seeking patients at a private interdisciplinary voice clinic in Pretoria, South Africa.
Method:
A retrospective quantitative design was used to analyse data from 86 patients diagnosed with FVDs between January 2017 and July 2022. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied.
Results:
The incidence rate of FVDs was 16.67% among 516 patients with voice disorders. The primary diagnosis was muscle tension dysphonia (MTD), affecting 80.2% of cases. The most common secondary diagnosis was laryngeal pharyngeal reflux (LPR) at 39.5%. Hoarseness was the most reported symptom. No significant differences were found between occupational and non-occupational voice users.
Conclusion:
The findings clarify the incidence and nature of FVDs in the South African context.Contribution: It underscores the need for greater awareness of FVDs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as well as future research on prevention and management strategies.
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