Vocal fatigue in teachers and non-teachers in a Turkish population

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the voice use and associated vocal fatigue in teachers and to define their differences with other professional voice users and non-vocal non-professionals. Patients and Methods: Between May 2020 and October 2020, a total of 187 participants (41 males, 146 females; mean age: 32.6±10.5 years; range, 23 to 65 years) were administered the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) questionnaire. Of the participants, 93 were teachers and 94 were non-teachers recruited from Istanbul province of Turkey. The relationship between the VFI and sociodemographic characteristics, professional activity, talkativeness, duration of active vocal use, and active vocal complaints were analyzed. Results: The mean VFI score was 35.5±16.2. Those with a vocal complaint had significantly higher mean total VFI scores than those without any vocal complaints (p<0.001). Duration of voice use and total VFI scores were significantly higher in teachers than other professions (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). The mean total VFI scores of teachers with or without vocal complaints did not significantly differ (p=0.065). Conclusion: Our study results suggest that voice disorders are more common among teachers, compared to non-professional voice users. It is important to reveal the etiology of voice problems in teachers, particularly for early diagnosis and immediate treatment.