Limitation of the use of voice in teaching and leisure-time physical activity: Educatel study, Brazil, 2015/2016

Abstract

The study sought to identify the prevalence of voice-related problems teaching basic education teachers and to analyze their association with the practice of physical activity. We used data from a phone survey of a representative sample (n = 6,510) of Educatel Study carried out between October 2015 and March 2016. The main data of this study were self-referred voice-related problems teaching, leisure-time physical activity (defined according to its intensity, duration and frequency) and potential confounding variables. The data was analyzed using Poisson regression models with robust variance. Around one fifth of teachers (20.5%) reported having had voice-related problems teaching, while approximately one third reported sufficient leisure-time physical activity (≥ 150 minutes/week) (37.8%). Both recommended physical activity volume and five or more days of physical activity per week (regard-less of total volume) were inversely associated with voice-related problems teaching, both in bivariate models and in models adjusted for confounding variables (sex, age and working hours). Basic Education teachers have a high prevalence of voice-related problems teaching. Sufficient leisure-time physical activity and exercising five or more days a week are potential protective factors for reducing this problem.