Effects of a Voice Training Program on Acoustics, Vocal Use, and Perceptual Voice Parameters in Catalan Teachers.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of EVES (Education for a Healthy and Efficient Voice), a voice training program aimed at promoting the use of an efficient and healthy voice in teachers. SAMPLE AND METHOD: Twenty-two teachers in the city of Granollers (Catalonia, Spain) were included in this research. The effect of the EVES program was evaluated focusing on the analysis of physiologic parameters on the one side (stroboscopy analysis), and on perceptual parameters on the other (Q-EVES questionnaire, Voice Handicap Index-10 [VHI-10], and GRBAS [Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, Strain Scale]). RESULTS: The teachers incorporated the vocal strategies in their professional life and reported that the perception of difficulty in using their voice decreased. We observed a significant improvement in VHI-10 markers, in voice management abilities in the classroom, in perceptive and subjective voice parameters, and in some functional lesions. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the educational intervention model may have a positive effect on teachers' vocal care.

Epidemiological voice health map of the teaching population of Granollers (Barcelona) developed from the EVES questionnaire and the VHI.

The aim of this research project was to carry out an epidemiological study on the voice health of the teaching population in Granollers (Barcelona) using the EVES questionnaire and to relate the collected data to the VHI results. The study sample consisted of 233 teachers from Granollers (Barcelona). The EVES questionnaire, which includes the VHI-10, was conducted online. A high percentage of the teachers consulted suffered voice disorders, which ranged from minor to more serious cases. In regard to the data obtained using the VHI, in 28.77% of the cases there was a moderate or a serious perception of voice problems. Out of these cases only one person, who had a moderate perception of their problem, was undergoing voice therapy with a speech therapist. There are three questions in the EVES questionnaire that can efficiently indicate the existence of a voice disorder in a straightforward manner, and the results for these were similar to those recorded for the VHI group of questions. Therefore, it may be argued that questions that refer to the perception of the degree of pleasantness of one's own voice should be included, because they would provide a useful way to indicate whether there is a voice problem at a preliminary screening stage.

Incidencia de un programa de educación de la voz para futuros docentes en la mejora de parámetros acústicos y perceptivos de la voz / Impact of a preventive voice program for future teachers on improving acoustic and perceptual voice parameters

Esta investigación evalúa un programa de educación de la voz y salud vocal dirigido a todos los estudiantes de magisterio de la Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona, futuros maestros y «candidatos» a sufrir algún tipo de disfonía. En los últimos años, en el contexto de esta experiencia educativo-sanitaria, se han realizado diversas investigaciones en las que, fundamentalmente, se han evaluado la eficacia de la propuesta, y cuyos resultados han servido también para implementar mejoras en el programa. El trabajo que presentamos en este artículo se centra en analizar algunos aspectos relevantes del proceso educativo -determinados parámetros acústicos y perceptivos de la voz- a partir de los resultados que se obtienen al finalizar el programa. Para este estudio se ha escogido una amplia muestra de alumnos, y se han analizado algunos de los parámetros acústicos como son la frecuencia fundamental y la intensidad y, por otra parte, la percepción subjetiva de una posible disfunción vocal. Así mismo, se han recogido datos sobre el proceso destinado a la obtención de recursos para al desarrollo de una emisión eficiente y sana de la voz. Los resultados nos muestran que este tipo de programas permiten concienciar y proporcionar a los estudiantes sin problemas vocales, recursos al servicio de una emisión eficiente y sana y, además, es una ayuda para aquellos estudiantes que tienen ya una percepción de problemas vocales y que presentan frecuencias fundamentales agravadas; de esta manera es posible que estos estudiantes después de la intervención adquieran unos parámetros acústicos normalizados (AU)

This study evaluated a voice and vocal health education program implemented in all teacher training students at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, future teachers and “candidates” at risk of any type of dysphonia. In recent years, in the context of this educational and health initiative, we have carried out several research projects that have mainly evaluated the effectiveness of this program. The results also served to implement improvements to the program. The experience described in this article focuses on analysis of some important features of the educational process –specific acoustic and perceptual voice parameters - based on the results obtained at the end of the program. We chose a large sample of students to carry out this study and analyzed some acoustic parameters such as fundamental frequency and intensity, as well as the subjective perception of a possible vocal dysfunction. Therefore, data were collected on the process in order to obtain resources for the development of efficient and healthy voice emission. The results showed, firstly, that these kinds of programs can raise awareness, as well as provide resources to support healthy and efficient voice emission in students without voice problems and, secondly, that this program is an aid for those students who already perceive voice problems and show aggravated fundamental frequencies. Thus, these students can acquire standard acoustic parameters after the intervention (AU)