Dysphonia and Vocal Tract Discomfort While Working From Home During COVID-19.
Ciarán Kenny
PMID 33223124WHAT IT FOUND
Among 1,575 Irish adults working from home, 33% reported voice problems and 68% reported throat discomfort.
Raising or straining the voice during calls, poor air quality, and stress were linked to these issues. Most voice problems were mild, but they impacted daily communication.
Key findings
01Self-reported dysphonia prevalence was 33% and incidence was 28%, with 85% of those reporting dysphonia developing it during the lockdown.
02Frequently raising or straining the voice, poor air quality, and stress were significant predictors of both new onset dysphonia and new onset vocal tract discomfort.
03Participants with dysphonia reported a mean voice-related quality of life score of 82.4, indicating mild impact, though 81% fell below the normal range for non-dysphonic individuals.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used self-selection and snowball sampling, which may introduce bias if individuals with voice problems were more motivated to participate. Data was self-reported without clinical verification of voice disorders. The study did not capture other relevant factors such as social voice use, medical history, or smoking status. The sample was predominantly female (86%) and from the Republic of Ireland, limiting generalizability to other populations. As an observational study, it cannot establish causation between working from home and voice problems.
Declared interests
Funding for the paid social media campaign was provided by the Arts and Social Sciences Benefaction Fund at Trinity College Dublin. The funder had no involvement in the study design, data collection, analysis, or dissemination.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high prevalence rates as evidence that working from home directly causes voice disorders. The study is observational and relies on self-report, so it identifies associations rather than proving causation. Additionally, the sample was largely female and self-selected, which may overrepresent individuals concerned about their voice.