title: Changes in the prevalence of vocal symptoms among teachers during a twelve-year period.
abstract: Vocal symptoms and voice disorders among teachers were studied in 1988 using a questionnaire designed to obtain information on six vocal symptoms that had appeared during the past 2 years. Twelve percent of the 478 respondents reported vocal symptoms occurring weekly or more often. The study was repeated using the same questionnaire in 2001. The results of this second study (n=241) indicate that vocal symptoms had increased considerably. Twenty-nine percent of the teachers reported symptoms occurring weekly or more often, and 20% reported two symptoms or more occurring at least once a week, which is significantly more than in 1988. Accordingly, voice disorders are probably a growing problem among teachers. Several factors may explain these increases. In 2001, the teachers complained more often about increases in the size of their classes. Factors that disturbed normal work routines, such as noisy or misbehaving pupils, had also increased significantly. A growing number of misbehaving pupils probably cause increased background noise and stress and, thus, increase the vocal symptoms in teachers.
authors.affiliation: University of Helsinki, Finland. susanna.simberg@abo.fi
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simberg
authors.forename: Eeva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: Kirsti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vehmas
authors.forename: Anneli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders; D005178:Faculty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014833:Voice Quality