title: Evaluation of the prevalence of and factors associated with laryngeal diseases among the general population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the high prevalence of voice disorders, the prevalence of laryngeal disease in the general population has not been determined using laryngoscopy. Factors considered associated with laryngeal disease have mostly been assessed using patient data or highly specific populations. We evaluated the prevalence of and associated factors with laryngeal diseases in the general Korean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 19,039 participants assessed between 2008 and 2011. The prevalence, subjective discomforts rates of, and odd ratios (demographics, life-style factors, and diseases factors) for laryngeal disease were analyzed using simple and multiple logistic regression analyses, taking into account the complex sampling structure of the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The top five laryngeal diseases in prevalence were laryngitis (3,513/100,000), vocal nodules (1,487/100,000), vocal polyp (404/100,000), Reinke's edema (347/100,000), and epiglottic cyst (296/100,000). Prevalence of laryngeal disease was higher in males, whereas the rate of subjective voice complaints was higher in females. In the logistic regression analysis, gender was not associated with laryngeal diseases after adjusting for other factors. We observed a positive association between low body mass index (BMI) and vocal nodules, and between high BMI and laryngitis, smoking and epiglottic cyst/hyperkeratosis/laryngeal cancer, higher education level and vocal nodules, and allergic rhinitis and vocal nodules/laryngitis/epiglottic cyst.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rate of subjective voice complaints and laryngeal disease co-occurrence was low. This study provides more reliable information of laryngeal disease because it includes participants without subjective complaints.
  
  
  METHODS
  2b.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: J Hun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hah
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Songyong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Thyroid/Head & Neck Cancer Center of the Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences (DIRAMS), Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Soo-Youn
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Myung-Whun
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyo Geun
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007819:Laryngeal Edema / Q000453:epidemiology; D007827:Laryngitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Voice; bias; epidemiology; etiology; larynx; prevalence; risk factors; vocal cords