The Impact of Masking Habits on Voice in a Sub-population of Healthcare Workers.
Abdul-Latif Hamdan, Christopher Jabbour, Anthony Ghanem and 1 others
PMID 34986996WHAT IT FOUND
One third of surveyed healthcare workers reported voice handicap.
Surgical mask users reported higher vocal fatigue than those using cloth or N95 masks, but mask duration and type showed no link to voice handicap or effort.
Key findings
01Thirty-three point seven percent of participants had an abnormal Voice Handicap Index score.
02Mask type was associated with vocal fatigue, with surgical and combined surgical/N95 users reporting higher scores than cloth or N95 users.
03Neither mask type nor duration of use was significantly associated with voice handicap or vocal effort scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study relied entirely on self-reported symptoms without objective voice measurements or laryngeal examinations. The response rate was low at 12.6%, which may introduce selection bias. There was no control group of healthcare workers who did not wear masks. Smoking status was not accounted for in the statistical analysis, despite a high prevalence of smokers in the sample. Hearing loss and otologic disorders were not screened for, which could influence vocal effort.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that switching mask types will resolve voice handicap or vocal effort issues, as the study found no significant association between mask type and these outcomes, only with vocal fatigue.