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<p>Voice disorders are a common occupational hazard for school teachers, with reported prevalence ranging from 20 to 50%. This cross-sectional study evaluated 420 teachers (<i>n</i> = 105 per group) from Tamil Nadu – including primary school teachers, secondary school teachers, special education teachers, and physical education teachers, to determine the prevalence of voice disorders and vocal fatigue. Data were collected on Monday mornings to standardize vocal load, and included demographics, the Tamil-adapted Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI-T) for self-reported voice fatigue, and the Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) for objective voice quality. The overall prevalence of vocal fatigue symptoms (VFI-T) was 51.4%, and dysphonia (AVQI &gt; 2.8) was 50.2%. Primary teachers had the highest rate of voice complaints (60.0% reported vocal fatigue) compared to secondary teachers (40.0%) and special education teachers. Similar trends were seen in AVQI scores, with primary teachers exhibiting poorer voice quality (mean AVQI 3.10 ± 0.70) than secondary teachers (2.45 ± 0.65) (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). The results emphasize the need for regular voice screening and preventive voice health education for teachers, especially in Tamil-speaking regions.</p>

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Prevalence of Voice Disorders among Teachers in Tamil Nadu: A Comparative Study of Primary, Secondary, Special Education, and Physical Education Teachers

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月4日

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  • D. Seshasri,
  • G. Selvarajan,
  • Kala Samayan

摘要

Voice disorders are a common occupational hazard for school teachers, with reported prevalence ranging from 20 to 50%. This cross-sectional study evaluated 420 teachers (n = 105 per group) from Tamil Nadu – including primary school teachers, secondary school teachers, special education teachers, and physical education teachers, to determine the prevalence of voice disorders and vocal fatigue. Data were collected on Monday mornings to standardize vocal load, and included demographics, the Tamil-adapted Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI-T) for self-reported voice fatigue, and the Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) for objective voice quality. The overall prevalence of vocal fatigue symptoms (VFI-T) was 51.4%, and dysphonia (AVQI > 2.8) was 50.2%. Primary teachers had the highest rate of voice complaints (60.0% reported vocal fatigue) compared to secondary teachers (40.0%) and special education teachers. Similar trends were seen in AVQI scores, with primary teachers exhibiting poorer voice quality (mean AVQI 3.10 ± 0.70) than secondary teachers (2.45 ± 0.65) (p < 0.001). The results emphasize the need for regular voice screening and preventive voice health education for teachers, especially in Tamil-speaking regions.