Prevalence of hoarseness in ten-year-old children

Abstract

To establish the prevalence of hoarseness in Swedish ten-year-old children, the voices of 205 children were recorded and judged by a panel of seven voice expert listeners. They rated the voices along several voice parameters represented by visual analogue (continuous) scales on a test form. Interjudge reliability was satisfactory throughout. The prevalence of hoarseness as determined from the distribution of mean hoarseness ratings plotted in rank order was 14 per cent. Chronic hoarseness was found in 6 per cent. For children from densely populated areas, the prevalence was higher.

Key Words:

• prevalence
• perceptual analysis
• hoarseness
• child hoarseness