Vocal tract discomfort in teachers after teaching activity

Amaral, Amanda Corrêa do; Zambon, Fabiana; Moreti, Felipe; Behlau, Mara

doi:10.1590/2317-1782/20172016045

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Original Articles • CoDAS 29 (2) • 2017 • https://doi.org/10.1590/2317-1782/20172016045 linkcopy

Vocal tract discomfort in teachers after teaching activity

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Purpose To evaluate the vocal tract discomfort (VTD) reported by teachers, comparing their vocal self-assessment at three different times: before teaching, after four hours of teaching, and after eight hours of teaching.

Methods The study sample was composed of 50 teachers: 42 women and eight men. The participating teachers were divided into two groups according to the cutoff value of the Voice Symptom Scale (VoiSS): Vocal Risk Group (VRG) and Vocally Healthy Group (VHG). The List of Vocal Signs and Symptoms (LVSS) was used to identify the number of vocal symptoms in each group. The groups were evaluated at three specific moments (before (BT) and after four (4HT) and eight (8HT) hours of teaching) by means of the Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale (VTD scale) and vocal self-assessment.

Results The VRG presented more vocal signs and symptoms of the LVSS than the VHG (total: VHG=0.56/VRG=1.60, p<0.001; work-related VHG=0.79/VRG=2.49, p<0.001). The VHG did not report change in discomfort for both frequency (p=1.132) and severity (p=0.431) and showed better vocal self-assessment (BT=0.67; 4HT=0.96; 8HT=0.96, p=0.007). However, the VRG presented vocal tract discomfort after four and eight hours of teaching for both frequency (BT=1.60; 4HT=2.49; 8HT=2.95, p<0.001) and severity (BT=1.79; 4HT=2.52; 8HT=3.12, p<0.001) and worse voice self-assessment (BT=2.00; 4HT=2.42; 8HT=3.00, p<0.001).

Conclusion Teachers at vocal risk present worse vocal self-assessment and increased vocal tract discomfort throughout the teaching working day.

Keywords
Voice; Dysphonia; Faculty; Surveys and Questionnaires; Self-Assessment; Signs and Symptoms; Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences

List of Vocal Signs and Symptoms – LVSS	N	Mean	Median	SD	CI	p value
Total
VHG	24	0.56	0.25	0.74	0.30	<0.001*
VRG	26	1.60	1.50	0.98	0.38	<0.001*
Work-related
VHG	24	0.79	0.38	0.86	0.34	<0.001*
VRG	26	2.49	2.56	1.22	0.47	<0.001*

VTD scale	N	Mean	Median	SD	CI	p value
Frequency
VHG
BT	24	0.56	0.25	0.74	0.30	0.132
4HT	24	0.79	0.38	0.86	0.34
8HT	24	0.79	0.31	0.98	0.39
VRG
BT	26	1.60	1.50	0.98	0.38	<0.001*
4HT	26	2.49	2.56	1.22	0.47
8HT	26	2.95	2.94	1.21	0.46
Total
BT	50	1.10	1.00	1.01	0.28	<0.001*
4HT	50	1.68	1.56	1.36	0.38
8HT	50	1.91	2.00	1.55	0.43
Severity
VHG
BT	24	0.54	0.25	0.70	0.28	0.431
4HT	24	0.72	0.38	0.76	0.31
8HT	24	0.76	0.38	0.94	0.38
VRG
BT	26	1.79	1.81	1.11	0.43	<0.001*
4HT	26	2.52	2.38	1.12	0.43
8HT	26	3.12	2.94	1.22	0.47
Total
BT	50	1.19	1.06	1.12	0.31	<0.001*
4HT	50	1.66	1.69	1.32	0.37
8HT	50	1.98	2.06	1.61	0.45

VTD scale	N	Mean	Median	SD	CI	p value
Frequency
BT
VHG	24	0.56	0.25	0.74	0.30	<0.001*
VRG	26	1.60	1.50	0.98	0.38	<0.001*
4HT
VHG	24	0.79	0.38	0.86	0.34	<0.001*
VRG	26	2.49	2.56	1.22	0.47	<0.001*
8HT
VHG	24	0.79	0.31	0.98	0.39	<0.001*
VRG	26	2.95	2.94	1.21	0.46	<0.001*
Severity
BT
VHG	24	0.54	0.25	0.70	0.28	<0.001*
VRG	26	1.79	1.81	1.11	0.43
4HT
VHG	24	0.72	0.38	0.76	0.31	<0.001*
VRG	26	2.52	2.38	1.12	0.43
8HT
VHG	24	0.76	0.38	0.94	0.38	<0.001*
VRG	26	3.12	2.94	1.22	0.47

Vocal self-assessment	N	Mean	Median	SD	CI	p value
VHG
BT	24	0.67	1.00	0.64	0.25	0.007
4HT	24	0.96	1.00	0.75	0.30
8HT	24	0.96	1.00	0.75	0.30
VRG
BT	26	2.00	2.00	0.80	0.31	<0.001*
4HT	26	2.42	2.50	0.70	0.27
8HT	26	3.00	3.00	0.85	0.33
Total
BT	50	1.36	1.00	0.98	0.27	<0.001*
4HT	50	1.72	2.00	1.03	0.29
8HT	50	2.02	2.00	1.30	0.36

Vocal self-assessment	N	Mean	Median	SD	CI	p value
BT
VHG	24	0.67	1.00	0.64	0.25	<0.001*
VRG	26	2.00	2.00	0.80	0.31	<0.001*
4HT
VHG	24	0.96	1.00	0.75	0.30	<0.001*
VRG	26	2.42	2.50	0.70	0.27	<0.001*
8HT
VHG	24	0.96	1.00	0.75	0.30	<0.001*
VRG	26	3.00	3.00	0.85	0.33	<0.001*

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Statistically significant values (p≤0.05) – ANOVA test

[2] Caption: VHG = Vocally healthy group; VRG = Vocal risk group; N = number of individuals; SD = Standard deviation; CI = Confidence interval