SHBC1569
W.K.CHEW1, S.J.LOOK1, L.T.TAN1
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital1
Teachers are at greater risk of developing voice disorders due to their occupational demands. This can negatively impact on their daily lives and psychosocial well-being. Studies overseas have investigated the prevalence and associated factors of voice disorders among teachers, but there remains a paucity of research in Singapore. This study aims to determine the prevalence of voice handicap among teachers in Singapore, and investigate factors correlated with it.
Adopting a retrospective cross-sectional design, this study analysed the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) scores of 1461 teachers from 24 schools, who completed an anonymous online survey. The scores were analysed to determine the percentage prevalence of voice handicap in this population. Spearman’s rank-order correlation was used to measure the relationship between age and VHI-10 scores. Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to evaluate the differences in VHI-10 scores for gender and school type.
The VHI-10 had a high reliability score with a Cronbach alpha of 0.0934. The prevalence of significant voice handicap among Singaporean teachers was 28%. Correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between age and voice handicap (r =-0.05, p=0.03). There was a statistically significant effect of school type on voice handicap (p= 0.04), but no significant effect for gender (p=0.28).
The VHI-10 is a valid test for use in Singapore. More than 1 in 4 Singaporean teachers experience significant voice handicap. Factors associated with greater voice handicap include younger age, and teaching in a secondary school. Our findings highlight the importance of voice care among this group of professional voice users.