title: Voice Disorders in Teacher Students-A Prospective Study and a Randomized Controlled Trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Teachers are at risk of developing voice disorders, but longitudinal studies on voice problems among teachers are lacking. The aim of this randomized trial was to investigate long-term effects of voice education for teacher students with mild voice problems. In addition, vocal health was examined prospectively in a group of students without voice problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  First-semester students answered three questionnaires: one about background factors, one about voice symptoms (Screen6), and the Voice Handicap Index. Students with voice problems according to the questionnaire results were randomized to a voice training group or a control group. At follow-up in the sixth semester, all students answered Screen6 again together with four questions about factors that could have affected vocal health during their teacher education. The training group and the control group also answered the Voice Handicap Index a second time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At follow-up, 400 students remained in the study: 27 in the training group, 54 in the control group, and 319 without voice problems at baseline. Voice problems had decreased somewhat more in the training group than in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.1). However, subgroup analyses showed significantly larger improvement among the students in the group with complete participation in the training program compared with the group with incomplete participation. Of the 319 students without voice problems at baseline, 14% had developed voice problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Voice problems often develop in teacher students. Despite extensive dropout, our results support the hypothesis that voice education for teacher students has a preventive effect.
authors.affiliation: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-405 30, Sweden. Electronic address: ann-christine.ohlsson@medfak.gu.se.
authors.forename: Ann-Christine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ohlsson
authors.affiliation: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-405 30, Sweden.
authors.forename: Eva M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Division of Speech and Language Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-141 86, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Södersten
authors.affiliation: Åbo Akademi University, Logopedics, FIN-20500 Turku, Finland and Department of Special Needs Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo 0317, Norway.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedagogical, Curricular and Professional Studies, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-405 30, Sweden.
authors.forename: Silwa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Claesson
authors.affiliation: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-405 30, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barregård
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003479:Curriculum; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016272:Occupational Health; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D000070260:Teacher Training / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014833:Voice Quality; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Long-term voice training; Screening instrument; Teacher students; Voice Handicap Index; Voice problems