Distúrbio vocal em professores da rede estadual de ensino de Minas Gerais segundo a área censitária da escola e em professores de educação física

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the association between the risk of voice disorder and sociodemographic, work-related, and general health factors among teachers from urban and rural schools.

Methods: Observational, cross-sectional, and analytical study with 1,705 teachers from urban schools and 202 from rural schools who work in elementary and high schools in the state education network of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Exclusion criteria were: being on leave from teaching, being retired, and/or not agreeing to participate in the research. Data collection was carried out through an electronic questionnaire sent to school administrators by the State Department of Education, who then forwarded it to the teachers. The variables analyzed were: sociodemographic and occupational factors, mental health, voice-related factors, and the Voice Disorder Screening Index (ITDV), which defined the outcome of voice disorder risk. Descriptive and association analyses were performed using Pearson’s Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and logistic regression, considering a significance level of 0.05.

Results: There was a statistically significant association between voice disorder among teachers in urban schools and sex, employment status, psychosocial work aspects, common mental disorders (CMD), smoking, and vocal warm-up. Regarding sleep loss, respiratory problems, and gastroesophageal reflux, both urban and rural school teachers showed a strong statistical association with the outcome.

Conclusion: The risk of voice disorder in teachers from both urban and rural schools was associated with the presence of other health problems. In urban schools, being male, not smoking, being a contracted/appointed teacher, having low-strain or active work, absence of CMD, and performing vocal warm-up were protective factors for the risk of voice disorder.