Prevalence of repeated dysphonia among school-age children in Hong Kong

Abstract

There have been few reports on the prevalence of voice disorders in children, with figures from previous studies varying widely from 0.12% to 23.4%. However, no local data is yet available in Hong Kong. This study examined the prevalence of dysphonia and repeated dysphonia among school-age children in Hong Kong. Voice samples were collected from 185 students of Grade One, Grade Three, and Grade Five in two local primary schools and two voice screenings of eight weeks apart were held. Gender effect and grade level effect on the prevalence of dysphonia were explored. Results showed that the prevalence of dysphonia in the first screening was 48.1%, and more than half of them were considered dysphonic in the second screening. The prevalence of repeated dysphonia was at least 24.3%. There was no significant gender difference in the prevalence of dysphonia. However, a significant small to medium association was found between grade level and presence of dysphonia. The prevalence of dysphonia was the highest in Grade Five students, while that of repeated dysphonia was the highest in Grade Three students.