Voice Problems and Sick Leave in Teachers: What a Finnish Study Found

What is it about?

Teachers often experience voice problems, but we don’t know much about how these issues affect their ability to work over time. This Finnish study followed over 3,000 teachers for 16 years to see how often they took sick leave due to diagnosed voice disorders and how their work ability changed. The study found that sick leave due to voice problems became more common over the years. In the early 2000s, only about 3% of teachers had such absences, but by 2013–2016, that number had grown to 10%. At the same time, teachers’ self-rated work ability slightly declined. However, the study also pointed out that official records might not fully capture how common voice problems really are. Many teachers may have voice issues that don’t get formally diagnosed or recorded as a reason for sick leave. The researchers suggest that better tracking and more specific data are needed, especially for jobs like teaching, where voice use is a crucial part of the work.

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Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This long-term Finnish study shows that voice-related sick leave among teachers increased while their work ability declined. Despite few diagnosed cases, the findings highlight the need for better tracking and research on voice disorders in vocally demanding jobs.

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