[Prevalence and incidence studies of voice disorders among teaching staff of La Rioja, Spain. Clinical study: questionnaire, function vocal examination, acoustic analysis and videolaryngostroboscopy].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was calculate the prevalence and incidence of voice disorders among teaching staff of La Rioja, Spain.

DESIGN: We carried out a transversal study of voice disorders in teaching staff of La Rioja (a random sample of 931 of 3113 teachers) and a longitudinal study (we collect the new cases during the 3 years which lasts the study).

PATIENTS: 527 teachers of random sample took part of study: 332 female (63%) and 195 male (37%).

METHODS: All of teachers fill in a standard questionnaire, ENT and function vocal examination, videolaryngostroboscopy and acoustic analysis with MDVP.

RESULTS: The prevalence of voice disorders among La Rioja Teachers was 57%: 20.3% for organic lesions [nodular lesions (14%), polyps (2%), submucous suffusions (1.4%), edema Reinke (1.2%) Sulcus (0.4%), scalp (0.6%), leucoplasia (0.2%) vocal cord paralysis (0.2%)] 8.1% for chronic laryngitis [not specific (2.8%), smoke (3.9%) gastroe-sofageal reflux (2.5%)] and 29% for functional lesions [hyperfunctional dysphonia (7.5%) hypofunctional dysphonia (0.4%) vocal overefforts (18%) hyperplasia false cords (2.8)]. The incidence rate was 4 new cases each 1000 teachers and year.

CONCLUSIONS: Organic lesions were more prevalent in women (25.4%) than in men (9.5%), but functional lesions and chronic laryngitis were more prevalent in men (36.5% and 13.2%) than in women (24% and 5%).