Self-perception of vocal fatigue and insomnia severity in teachers.
Jaírle Laís Alves do Nascimento, Felipe Silva de Araujo, Vanessa Veis Ribeiro and 2 others
PMID 39936732WHAT IT FOUND
Teachers with voice problems reported significantly worse vocal fatigue and insomnia than those without, though both groups had frequent fatigue symptoms.
Women made up 58.3% of the at-risk group compared to 37.5% of men. Poor working conditions like noise and stress were common in both groups.
Key findings
01Median scores for all vocal fatigue and insomnia domains differed significantly between teachers at risk for dysphonia and those not at risk.
02Teachers at risk for dysphonia reported higher severity of subthreshold insomnia compared to those not at risk.
03Women were more likely than men to be in the group at risk for dysphonia (58.3% vs 37.5%).
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 a convenience sample recruited via social media, which limits the generalizability of the results. The assessment relied entirely on self-reported data; no objective voice measures or clinical examinations were performed. The cross-sectional design cannot determine causality between working conditions, sleep, and voice disorders. The study did not analyze outcomes by specific teaching level (e.g., preschool vs. higher education), which may have different vocal demands.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that vocal rest alone resolves fatigue in all teachers. The study found that male teachers not at risk for dysphonia still reported difficulty recovering with rest, suggesting that vocal fatigue may persist due to ongoing workplace stressors or poor vocal habits regardless of immediate dysphonia risk.