Tseung Kwan O Hospital, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, China.
J Occup Health. 2010;52(6):344-52. doi: 10.1539/joh.l10015. Epub 2010 Sep 30.
The purpose of the study was to investigate the prevalence of voice disorders and associated risk factors among primary school teachers in Hong Kong.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted based on a random sample of 20 primary schools in Hong Kong. A total of 714 full-time primary school teachers were invited to participate in the survey. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire addressing the prevalence of voice disorders and potential risk factors. Stepwise logistic regression was used to assess the associations between voice disorders and the different risk factors.
The response rate for the questionnaire was 69.7% (498/714). Among the teachers who responded, 348 (69.9%) had suffered from a voice disorder in the past 12 mo. Thirty-one teachers (8.9%) rated their voice disorders as minimal, 124 (35.6%) as mild, 151 (43.4%) as moderate, and 42 (12.1%) as severe. Of the 348 teachers reporting voice disorders, 215 (61.8%) had sought professional help for their voice problems. The univariate analyses showed that the factors significantly associated with voice disorders included talking quietly (p=0.018), using a microphone (p=0.002), speaking against background noise (p<0.001), consuming alcohol (p=0.027), and having a history of asthma (p=0.001), colds (p=0.012), sinusitis (p=0.039), or laryngitis (p<0.001). After adjusting for potential confounds, the significant risk factors included speaking against background noise (adjusted OR=1.8), alcohol consumption (adjusted OR=0.40), history of asthma (adjusted OR=3.3), or laryngitis (adjusted OR=4.2).
Approximately 70% of the sampled primary school teachers were affected by voice disorders. A substantial proportion of the effected teachers suffered both functional and psychological adverse effects. The findings indicate an urgent need for further investigation to identify the risk factors for voice disorders and to develop preventive strategies for primary school teachers.
本研究旨在调查香港小学教师的嗓音障碍患病率及相关危险因素。
本研究基于香港 20 所随机抽取的小学开展了横断面调查。邀请了 714 名全职小学教师参与调查。通过自填式问卷收集嗓音障碍患病率及潜在危险因素数据。采用逐步逻辑回归分析评估嗓音障碍与不同危险因素之间的关联。
问卷应答率为 69.7%（498/714）。应答教师中，348 名（69.9%）在过去 12 个月中患有嗓音障碍。31 名教师（8.9%）将其嗓音障碍评为轻度，124 名（35.6%）为中度，151 名（43.4%）为重度，42 名（12.1%）为极重度。348 名报告有嗓音障碍的教师中，215 名（61.8%）曾因嗓音问题寻求过专业帮助。单因素分析显示，与嗓音障碍显著相关的因素包括小声说话（p=0.018）、使用麦克风（p=0.002）、在背景噪声下讲话（p<0.001）、饮酒（p=0.027）、以及患有哮喘病史（p=0.001）、感冒（p=0.012）、鼻窦炎（p=0.039）或喉炎（p<0.001）。调整潜在混杂因素后，显著的危险因素包括在背景噪声下讲话（调整后的 OR=1.8）、饮酒（调整后的 OR=0.40）、哮喘病史（调整后的 OR=3.3）或喉炎（调整后的 OR=4.2）。
大约 70%的抽样小学教师受到嗓音障碍的影响。相当一部分受影响的教师既遭受功能障碍又遭受心理障碍。研究结果表明迫切需要进一步调查以确定嗓音障碍的危险因素，并为小学教师制定预防策略。
