Abstract
Objectives. This randomized case-control study compares teachers with self-reported voice problems to age-, gender-, and school-matched colleagues with self-reported voice health. The self-assessed voice function is related to factors known to influence the voice: laryngeal findings, voice quality, personality, psychosocial and coping aspects, searching for causative factors of voice problems in teachers.Methods. Subjects and controls, recruited from a teacher group in an earlier questionnaire study, underwent examinations of the larynx by high-speed imaging and kymograms; voice recordings; voice range profile; audiometry; self-assessment of voice handicap and voice function; teaching and environmental aspects; personality; coping; burnout, and work-related issues. The laryngeal and voice recordings were assessed by experienced phoniatricians and speech pathologists.Results. The subjects with self-assessed voice problems differed from their peers with self-assessed voice health by significantly longer recovery time from voice problems and scored higher on all subscales of the Voice Handicap Index-Throat.Conclusions. The results show that the cause of voice dysfunction in this group of teachers with self-reported voice problems is not found in the vocal apparatus or within the individual. The individual's perception of a voice problem seems to be based on a combination of the number of symptoms and of how often the symptoms occur, along with the recovery time. The results also underline the importance of using self-assessed reports of voice dysfunction.
Original language | Undefined/Unknown |
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Pages (from-to) | e149–e161 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Journal of Voice |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2012 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- VRP
- Audiogram
- Voice Handicap Index
- Throat
- psychosocial
- High-Speed Imaging
- voice
- Coping