Voice Complaints, Risk Factors for Voice Problems and History of Voice Problems in Relation to Puberty in Female Student Teachers

The aim of the study was to estimate voice complaints, risk factors for voice complaints and history of voice problems in student teachers before they embarked on their professional teaching career. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was performed among female student teachers. The response rate was 72% and 457 questionnaires were analyzed. Voice complaints at the moment and/or during the past year were reported by 39.6% subjects. Subjects with voice complaints had significantly higher VHI scores than subjects without voice complaints. In comparison to subjects without voice complaints, overall, subjects with voice complaints reported more frequently that vocal loading factors, physical factors, environmental factors and psychological factors had a negative influence on their voice. Subjects with voice complaints reported more frequently a history of voice complaints during puberty and before puberty in comparison to subjects without voice complaints. Voice complaints in student teachers apparently had a multifactorial genesis and with roots during puberty or before puberty. Logistic regression analysis revealed that intensive voice use, emotions and history of voice complaints during puberty were the most discriminating set of risk factors for voice complaints. Subjects with voice complaints in comparison to those without voice complaints reported more frequently that they would develop a voice problem due to future teaching and that future teaching would have a negative influence on their voice. Around three quarters of subjects with and without voice complaints reported that attention paid to their voice during their training was sufficient. However, subjects with voice complaints were observed to report the need for a refresher course on voice use more frequently than those without voice complaints. The findings call for more intensive voice training for student teachers to cope with the vocal, physical and psychological demands of the teaching profession. Authorities should take responsibility to monitor and improve working conditions of student teachers and teachers.