Objectives/hypothesis: Approximately 28,000,000 workers in the United States experience voice problems everyday. In general, voice problems are very common, but they are more frequent among certain occupational groups.
Study design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.
Method: We analyzed 129 available records of voice-disordered cases reported during the period of 2000-2005 from the Corporación del Fondo del Seguro del Estado in the Metropolitan Areas of Puerto Rico of Bayamón, San Juan, and Carolina. The following variables were studied: sex, age, occupation, possible job hazards, diagnosis, and type of treatment. Measures of central tendency, including percentage frequencies, were used.
Results: The findings revealed that 81% of all the cases of voice disorders available during the study period were females. The average age at diagnosis for different voice disorders was 42 years (± 10 years). Vocal problems were reported with a higher frequency by teachers at the elementary and high school levels (72%). The most common complaints were job-related voice overuse (30%) and excessive dust at the workplace. The most frequent medical diagnoses related to voice disorders were rhynopharyngitis (27%), several types of laryngitis (21%), and laryngopharyngitis (10%). The most frequent treatment modality for laryngeal disease and voice problems was the prescription of medication.
Conclusions: The most relevant factor of voice disorders for professional voice users is the vocal overload during their job. It is advisable to implement voice disorder-prevention programs for teachers because of the high rate of vocal dysfunction among these professionals.
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