Objective To investigate the voice handicap index of teachers and its correlation with their work and lifestyle habits, and provide a basis for guiding the prevention and treatment of their voice disorders.
Methods In 2020, a total of 494 teachers in 9 educational institutions in Shenzhen City were surveyed with a structured questionnaire to collect information on their work and personal lives and the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI) Scale to assess the voice disorder situation. A multifactorial unconditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of voice disorders.
Results With a response rate of 91.30%, 451 complete and valid surveys were returned. The median voice handicap index of the surveyed teachers was 9, with a quartile range of (4, 13), and 167 teachers had voice disorders, accounting for 37.03%. Multivariate regression analysis showed that poor sleep quality, the occurrence of emotional distress within the past month, and a large class size were risk factors for voice disorders. For each decrease in sleep quality level (very good, good, poor), each increase in emotional distress severity level (none, mild, moderate, severe), and each increase in the scale of class size (≤ 30, 31-40, 41-50, and ≥ 51 students), the risk of voice disorders among teachers increased by 1.78, 1.90, and 1.58 times, respectively (P < 0.05).
Conclusions Some teachers in educational institutions in Shenzhen had voice disorders. To improve their vocal health, it is recommended to organize teaching tasks reasonably, pay attention to mental health conditions and sleep quality, and promote healthy vocal practice.
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