Primary and Special Education Teachers at Higher Voice Disorder Risk: Evidence from Tamil Nadu

Voice disorders are a common occupational risk for teachers, usually resulting from extended voice usage in vocally demanding and frequently inadequate situations.

This study is the inaugural investigation in Tamil-speaking areas to comparatively assess voice fatigue and dysphonia across four diverse teaching specialties, employing both subjective and objective methodologies. The objective is to identify high-risk populations and provide specific occupational voice health initiatives METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed using 420 school teachers in Tamil Nadu, evenly distributed throughout four categories: elementary, secondary, special education, and physical education. Voice fatigue was evaluated utilizing the Tamil-adapted vocal fatigue index (VFI-T), whilst the acoustic voice quality index (AVQI) was employed for the objective assessment of dysphonia.

A total of 51.4% of individuals indicated vocal fatigue, while 50.2% demonstrated dysphonia (AVQI > 2.8). Primary school educators had the greatest incidence of vocal fatigue (60.0%) and dysphonia (64.8%), markedly surpassing secondary educators, who reported 40.0% and 28.6%, respectively. A robust positive connection was identified between VFI-T and AVQI scores (r = 0.62, P < 0.001).

Voice problems are common among school instructors in Tamil Nadu, with elementary and special educators being more vulnerable. The results underscore the necessity for proactive occupational voice health initiatives and regular screening protocols in educational environments.