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Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
ERIC Number: EJ696248
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Apr
Pages: 13
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1092-4388
EISSN: N/A
Prevalence of Voice Disorders in Teachers and the General Population
Roy, Nelson; Merrill, Ray M.; Thibeault, Susan; Parsa, Rahul A.; Gray, Steven D.; Smith, Elaine M.
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, v47 n2 p281 Apr 2004
information is also provided regarding additional factors that might contribute to the development of voice disorders.Over 3 million teachers in the United States use their voice as a primary tool of trade and are thought to be at higher risk for occupation-related voice disorders than the general population. However, estimates regarding the prevalence of voice disorders in teachers and the general population vary considerably. To determine the extent that teachers are at greater risk for voice disorders, 2,531 randomly selected participants from Iowa and Utah (1,243 teachers and 1,288 nonteachers) were interviewed by telephone using a voice disorder questionnaire. Prevalence--the number of cases per population at risk at a specific time--was determined. The prevalence of reporting a current voice problem was significantly greater in teachers compared with nonteachers (11.0% vs. 6.2%), [chi square](1) = 18.2, p < .001, as was the prevalence of voice disorders during their lifetime (57.7% for teachers vs. 28.8% for nonteachers), [chi square](1) = 215.2, p < .001. Teachers were also significantly more likely than nonteachers to have consulted a physician or speech-language pathologist regarding a voice disorder (14.3% vs. 5.5%), [chi square](1) = 55.3, p < .001. Women, compared with men, not only had a higher lifetime prevalence of voice disorders (46.3% vs. 36.9%), [chi square](1) = 20.9, p < .001, but also had a higher prevalence of chronic voice disorders (&gt;4 weeks in duration), compared with acute voice disorders (20.9% vs. 13.3%), [chi square](1) = 8.7, p = .003. To assess the association between post voice disorders and possible risks, adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were estimated using multiple logistic regression. The results identified that being a teacher, being a woman, being between 40 and 59 years of age, having 16 or more years of education, and having a family history of voice disorders were each positively associated with having experienced a voice disorder in the past. These results support the notion that teaching is a high-risk occupation for voice disorders. Important
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. Tel: 301-897-5700, ext. 4164; Fax: 301-897-7348
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Iowa; United States; Utah
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A