title: Auditory vocal analysis and factors associated with voice disorders among teachers.
abstract: Teachers are professionals who demand much of their voices and, consequently, present a high risk of developing vocal disorders during the course of employment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify factors associated with vocal disorders among teachers.
  
  
  METHODS
  An exploratory cross-sectional study, which investigated 476 teachers in primary and secondary schools in the city of Salvador, Bahia. Teachers answered a questionnaire and were submitted to auditory vocal analysis. The GRBAS was used for the diagnosis of vocal disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study population comprised 82.8% women, teachers with an average age of 40.7 years, teachers with higher education (88.4%), with an average workday of 38 hours per week, average 11.5 years of professional practice and average monthly income of R$1.817.18. The prevalence of voice disorders was 53.6%. (255 teachers). The bivariate analysis showed statistically significant associations between vocal disorders and age above 40 years (PR = 1.83; 95% CI; 1.27-2.64), family history of dysphonia (PR = 1.72; 95% CI; 1.06-2.80), over 20 hours of weekly working hours (PR = 1.66; 95% CI; 1.09-2.52) and presence of chalk dust in the classroom (PR = 1.70; 95% CI; 1.14-2.53).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study concluded that teachers, 40 years old and over, with a family history of dysphonia, working over 20 hours weekly, and teaching in classrooms with chalk dust are more likely to develop voice disorders than others.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Social, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. albanitagomes@msn.com
authors.forename: Albanita Gomes da Costa
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: de Ceballos
authors.forename: Fernando Martins
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Tânia Maria
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: de Araújo
authors.forename: Eduardo José Farias Borges
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Dos Reis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014833:Voice Quality; D055815:Young Adult