VOICE DISORDERS AMONG SCHOOL TEACHERS AND ITS ASSOCIATION TO WORK-RELATED STRESS AND INDOOR AIR QUALITY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Document Type : Original Article

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Department of Community, Environmental, and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Introduction: Voice disorders are common occupational hazards that affect teachers due to prolonged vocal demands. Recent studies suggest a strong link to environmental irritants and occupational stress. Aim of Work: To measure the prevalence of voice disorders among schoolteachers in Cairo, to identify possible risk factors, and to examine their association with perceived indoor air quality and work-related stress. Materials and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 170 teachers chosen by convenience sampling from different schools located in Cairo Governorate. Participants completed a well-structured, standardized online questionnaire covering sociodemographic data, indoor air quality (Orebro-MM040), vocal symptoms, the Arabic Voice Handicap Index (VHI), and the job stress scale.
Results: Mild and moderate voice disorders were reported by 55.3% and 11.8% of participants respectively. Throat discomfort (50.6%), vocal fatigue (49.4%) and morning hoarseness (36.5%) were a frequently complains. Various significant sociodemographic and occupational variables were detected, such as number of children, smoking status,
history of allergies, educational stage taught, years of experience, and frequency of sessions per week. Additionally, poor indoor air quality was a significant factor (p <0.05). Despite high average stress scores (mean 43.5 ± 6.6), no significant association was found with voice disorders. Conclusion and Recommendations: Voice disorders were prevalent among the studied group. Suboptimal working conditions and poor indoor air quality were significant contributing factors, highlighting the need for targeted interventions focusing on environmental improvements in schools to reduce the burden of vocal health problems among educators.

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