The Effect of Parental Smoking on Voice-Related Quality of Life in the Pediatric Population

Abstract

Objectives: Exposure to cigarette smoke has significant effects on the respiratory mucosa. However, little is known about the effects of household smoke exposure on children's voice-related quality of life. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of parental smoking (PS) on voice-related quality of life in the pediatric population. Subjects and Methods: The Pediatric Voice-related Quality of Life (PVRQoL) instrument was administered to the parents of 104 healthy children without any known voice disorder. The children were evaluated in two groups. The first group of children had no PS history and no household smoke exposure (non-PS group), in the second group, at least one parent of the child consumed tobacco products in the house (PS group). Social emotional and physical functional subdomains of the PVRQoL were also calculated. Results: A total of 104 surveys were analyzed. The overall percentage of dysphonia in the PS group was 23.6%, whereas it was 6.1% in the non-PS group. The mean PVRQoL scores were 89.1 (±13.8) in the PS group and 97.7 (±4.7) in the non-PS group (P < 0.001). The mean physical functional-PVRQoL score was 35.4 (±7.2) in the PS group and 39.0 (±6.0) in the non-PS group. The mean social emotional-PVRQoL scores were 51.2 (±9.3) in the PS group and 57.2 (±5.6) in the non-PS group. The overall voice quality was significantly lower in the PS group than in the non-PS group. Conclusion: Exposure to PS has negative effects on voice-related quality of life in children that cannot be underestimated. Parents should be informed about the detrimental effects of passive smoking on the voice quality of their children. Inclusion of items in pediatric voice surveys about PS that lead to dysphonia would be suggested. © 2020 The Voice Foundation