Prevalence of hoarseness of voice and associated symptoms among primary school teachers in Ilala Municipal, Tanzania

Abstract

Background: School teachers are at risk of developing hoarseness of voice due to excessive vocal use. The estimated global prevalence of hoarseness of voice is between 11% and 81% with an incidence rate of about 4 new cases per 1000 teachers per year. Most of the contributing lifestyle and work-related factors include years of teaching, grade being taught, and the number of teaching hours. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of hoarseness of voice and associated symptoms among primary school teachers in Ilala Municipal, Tanzania.

Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive study that was conducted among primary school teachers in Ilala Municipal, Tanzania, using a quantitative approach. The study sample included 268 primary school teachers from 10 primary schools that were selected using two-stage cluster random sampling. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaire. The SPSS computer software version 20 was used for data entry and analysis.

Results: The prevalence of hoarseness of voice in the recruited participants was 42.9%. The risk of developing hoarseness of voice increased with increasing age of a teacher and with the duration of teaching (p < 0.01). The common symptoms associated with hoarseness of voice were vocal straining (85.8%), voice loss (58.9%), and vocal fatigue (55.3%) while the least associated symptoms were swallowing (17.4%) and breathing difficulties (21.6%).

Conclusion: The prevalence of hoarseness of voice among primary school teachers is high; implying the need for interventions to prevent and manage this occupational-related problem.