Voice Disorders in the Metropolitan Area of San Juan, Puerto Rico: Profiles of Occupational Groups

Summary 

Objectives/Hypothesis

Approximately 28 000 000 workers in the United States experience voice problems everyday. In general, voice problems are very common, but they are more frequent among certain occupational groups.

Study Design

Descriptive cross-sectional study.

Method

We analyzed 129 available records of voice-disordered cases reported during the period of 2000–2005 from the Corporación del Fondo del Seguro del Estado in the Metropolitan Areas of Puerto Rico of Bayamón, San Juan, and Carolina. The following variables were studied: sex, age, occupation, possible job hazards, diagnosis, and type of treatment. Measures of central tendency, including percentage frequencies, were used.

Results

The findings revealed that 81% of all the cases of voice disorders available during the study period were females. The average age at diagnosis for different voice disorders was 42 years (±10 years). Vocal problems were reported with a higher frequency by teachers at the elementary and high school levels (72%). The most common complaints were job-related voice overuse (30%) and excessive dust at the workplace. The most frequent medical diagnoses related to voice disorders were rhynopharyngitis (27%), several types of laryngitis (21%), and laryngopharyngitis (10%). The most frequent treatment modality for laryngeal disease and voice problems was the prescription of medication.

Conclusions

The most relevant factor of voice disorders for professional voice users is the vocal overload during their job. It is advisable to implement voice disorder-prevention programs for teachers because of the high rate of vocal dysfunction among these professionals.

Key Words: Voice disorders, Voice problems, Occupational risks, Occupational groups, Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans, Hispanics, Occupational hazards, Diagnosis, Treatment