Vocal Problems among Teachers : A Review of Prevalence and Risk Factor

교사 직업군에서의 음성장애와 악화요인에 관한 연구

Background and Objective : Voice disorders are one of the major occupational hazards of school teaching. Prolonged voice use through verbal instruction has been implicated as a cause of vocal impairment among members of this profession. They all depend on their voice for their livelihood and are greatly alarmed by slightest alteration in voice quality. Despite considerable research in the area of voice problems in teachers, the prevalence of voice disorders in this group is unknown. Severe voice problems can affect teacher's ability to teach in the classroom. Materials and Method : This study investigated the prevalence of self-reported voice problems in teachers using a survey of a simple random sample of middle school teachers (n=1000). As part of the survey, teachers were asked to report voice problems for the day of the survey, duration, main symptom, smoking, caffeine, alcohol history etc. Results : The reponse rate was 91%(n=94) with 89.7%(n=812) teachers reporting voice problems on the day of the survey, and 40%(n=330) of these group reporting the history of medical consult. Conclusion : These finding indicate a need for vocal hygiene education in teachers and for the development of educational programs aimed at preventing voice problems in this group of professional voice users.