Caffeine consumption and voice health of university teachers: a safe bet!

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of caffeine on the vocal health of university teachers.METHODS: This cross-sectional study employed a non-probability convenience sampling technique to recruit 362 university teachers from Riphah International University, University of Education, University of Management and Technology, and University of Punjab, Pakistan between January 1, 2022, and June 31, 2022. The sample included both male and female participants aged 25 to 60 years. A Basic Demographic Sheet and the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS version-22.RESULTS: Out of 362 university teachers, 239 (66%) were females and majority (n=92/362, 25.4%) were within the 30-35 years’ age group. The majority of university teachers (n=290; 80.11%) in the study were caffeine users. Among them, 196 (54.1%) had severe voice handicaps, with 72 (19.9%) being non-caffeine users. Importantly, all teachers with mild and moderate handicaps were caffeine users (p=0.000). VHI scale, including functional, physical, and emotional subscale scores, as well as total mean scores, were significantly higher among non-caffeine users (p<0.001). Caffeine use was reported by 91.87% of males, compared to 74.06% of females (p<0.001). Additionally, significantly more males and individuals aged 25-40 years were found to be caffeine users (p<0.05). Both gender and age showed a significant correlation with VHI scores (p<0.001).CONCLUSION: Caffeine consumption does not significantly impact voice handicaps in the Pakistani context. However, gender and age demonstrate a significant correlation with voice handicaps, indicating that these demographic factors play a more crucial role in influencing vocal health.