查看文章

This epidemiological study compared the frequency and adverse effects of voice disorders in Brazilian teachers and nonteachers.

A standardized interview/questionnaire was administered to 3,265 participants; 1,651 teachers; and 1,614 nonteachers recruited from all 27 Brazilian states.

Prevalence of reporting a current voice disorder was 11.6% for teachers and 7.5% for nonteachers, respectively (χ²(1)=16.1, P<0.001). Sixty-three percent of teachers and 35.8% of nonteachers reported having experienced a voice problem at some point during their lifetime (χ²(1)=246.6, P<0.001). Teachers reported a higher number of current (3.7) and past (3.6) voice symptoms as compared with nonteachers (1.7 current, 2.3 past) and more often attributed these symptoms to their occupation (P<0.001). Teachers, as compared with nonteachers (1) more frequently reported that their voice limited …