Voice disorders in French teachers: Prevalence, risk factors and impact on well-being at work and quality of life

Purpose of the study. Teachers are particularly at risk of voice disorders, but in France, data are scarce. Our objective was to evaluate the prevalence of voice disorders among French teachers, to assess potential risks factors and to explore impact on well-being. Methods. In the population-based postal survey "Qualite de vie des enseignants" ("Teachers' Quality of Life") (MGEN foundation/ministry of Education, n = 2653), voice disorders were defined according to three criteria: (1) voice handicap (based on the Voice Handicap Index-10 items); (2) inability to teach because of voice disorders during the actual school year; (3) having consulted at least once a health professional for voice disorders. Using multivariate models, we investigated several risk factors, including personal, professional and environmental characteristics. We then considered the possible link between voice disorders and indicators of both well-being at work (burnout, absenteeism, job satisfaction) and global quality of life (WHO-Quality of life-BREF). Results. Thirteen percent of teachers had a moderate to severe voice handicap; since the beginning of the school year, 16% had been unable to teach because of voice disorders; 23% had seen a health professional for voice disorders. After adjustment, factors consistently associated with voice disorders were: being a female, a high psychological demand, having been a victim of psychological violence at work; and to a lesser extent: age, pollution of life environment and disadvantaged social situation of the pupils. Teachers with voice disorders were less satisfied with their professional experience and their quality of life. Conclusion. Our study highlights the importance of voice disorders in French teachers and supports the interest of prevention and health promotion in this population. (C) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.