Investigation the effects of voice problems on the hairdressers' professional performance and their social interactions

Background and Objectives: Hairdressers are exposed to respiratory problems, and are prone to voice disorders due to exposure to various chemicals such as hair dyes, hair straighteners, hair curling, de-chlorination substances, and bleaches .Since the voice problems may also affect the quality of social life, occupation, and emotions, this study has been carried out to investigate the effect of voice problems on hairdressers' professional performance and their social interactions.Materials and Methods: The present study was descriptive-analytical research. ۱۴۷ employees from women's hairdressers and ۹۹ employees from other occupations (as a control group) participated in this study. Based on the answer to a ۵-choice question about their voice problem (۰- not at all, ۱- rarely, ۲- sometimes, ۳- most of the time, and ۴- always), they were split into two groups with and without voice problem.Findings: The results of the current study showed that the prevalence of voice problems in the hairdresser group (۳۳%) is higher than the control group (۹%), and this difference is statistically significant (p<۰.۰۰۱). The Chi-Square test was used to investigate the effect of voice problems on the different aspects of their life. This study found a significant difference (p <۰.۰۵) between the two groups of hairdressers with and without voice problems in stress, anxiety, repetition of words, job problems, avoiding social interactions, and telecommunication.Conclusions: Hairdressers with voice problems compared to hairdressers without any voice problems had more problems in professional performance, social interactions, and in general the quality of life. Therefore, it is recommended to pay attention to these items in the evaluation and treatment of voice disorders in this group.

کلیدواژه ها:

voice disorders ، hairdressers ، quality of life ، job consequences