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Prevalence of voice problems in teachers
A Russell1, J Oates, K M Greenwood
1Speech Pathology Department, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
Journal of Voice : Official Journal of the Voice Foundation
|February 13, 1999
Summary
Many teachers experience voice problems, with 16-20% reporting issues annually. This study highlights the need for voice care programs for educators, especially females, who are twice as likely to face vocal dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Occupational health
- Speech and hearing science
- Education
Background:
- Teachers frequently report vocal dysfunction.
- The exact prevalence of voice disorders in teachers remains unknown.
- Professional voice users require specific attention for vocal health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of self-reported voice problems in teachers.
- To identify the frequency of voice disorders within the teaching profession.
- To establish baseline data for voice problem incidence in educators.
Main Methods:
- A mail survey was conducted on a simple random sample of 1168 state school teachers (preschool-Grade 12) in South Australia.
- Teachers reported voice problems on the survey day, during the current teaching year, and over their careers.
- A response rate of 75% was achieved, providing a robust dataset.
Main Results:
- 16% of teachers reported voice problems on the survey day.
- 20% reported voice problems during the current teaching year.
- 19% reported voice problems at some point during their career, with females twice as likely as males to report issues.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of teachers experience voice problems, indicating a substantial occupational health concern.
- Findings underscore the need for further research into the causes of vocal dysfunction in teachers.
- Development of targeted educational and preventative programs for teachers' vocal health is recommended.