Determine of voice disorders symptoms and risk factors in primary school and middle school teachers

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of demographic characteristics and workload on the complaints of pain and irritation in the throat as a symptom of voice disorders among primary and secondary school teachers in Diyarbakir Province and to determine the risk factors associated with these complaints Meterial and Methods: The study included a total of 98 primary and secondary school teachers working in the Sur district of Diyarbakir. A voice evaluation form originally developed by the Brazilian Ministry of Labor was used for the study, and the pain and irritation symptoms of occupational Dysphonic Syndrome were taken into consideration. The frequency of the complaints of pain or irritation in the throat was compared with age, gender, working life, workplace conditions, habits, and lifestyles. The dependent variables of research included a sensation of pain or irritation in the throat while the independent variables included age, gender, working life, workplace conditions, habits, and lifestyles of the teachers. Fisher's exact and Pearson's Chi-squared test with Yates' continuity correction were used to determine the relationship between age, gender, working life, workplace conditions, habits, and lifestyles variables for all teachers. Results: The overall incidence of pain and irritation in throat was 72.4%, with an incidence of 79.2% in female teachers and 66% in male teachers. A significant relationship was found between the complaints of pain or irritation in the throat and the levels of work stress and tension (p<0.05). It was also revealed that the teachers who spent most of their time teaching were more likely to have complaints of sore throat or irritation than other teachers (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results indicated a significant relationship between the levels of work stress and tension and the complaints of pain or irritation in the throat, implicating that the level of pain or irritation in the throat increases the stress level in the workplace increases. The study also revealed that the teachers who spend most of their time teaching have a higher frequency of complaints of sore throat or irritation compared to other teachers.