Classroom noise and the perception of the teachers in a school of Piracicaba city

Abstract

Teachers are among the professionals subjected to health alterations due to inadequate working conditions, such as environmental noise (from students, from the street, from the fan), bad acoustic and bad work organization (long working periods). These conditions may cause hearing and extra-hearing effects, resulting on stress and fatigue, and also possibly resulting on communication problems such as vocal diseases. Goal: to analyze the perception of environmental sounds on teachers' health. Method: thirty-six teachers of the fundamental courses of a public school in Piracicaba - SP, participated on this research. There were conducted classroom sound measurements, interviews about hearing and nonhearing effects caused by noise exposure, and audiometric exams. Results: 75% of the teachers considered the classroom noisy; at sound measuring it was found a variation from 55 to 102 dBA. Most of the teachers (86%) reported non-hearing symptoms (dizziness, digestive and bloodstream system problems), 95% of them reported vocal complaints (fatigue and larynges pain after class), and noise effects over oral communication in the classroom (need of speaking louder, difficulty on making themselves understood and of understanding other people). As to the hearing profile, 29% reported hearing alterations. Conclusion: the noise found on the classrooms may have direct relation to the teachers' health problems. It was proved on this research the urgency on alerting, specially health professionals, about the harm effects of noise exposure.