Social Vulnerability of Brazilian Metropolitan Schools and Teachers' Absence from Work Due to Vocal and Psychological Symptoms: A Multilevel Analysis.

Teachers' voices and psychological symptoms are the main reasons for absence from work. The objectives of this study were: (i) to spatially represent, through a webGIS, the standardized rates of teachers' absences due to voice (outcome 1) and psychological symptoms (outcome 2) in each Brazilian Federative Unit (FU = 26 states plus Federal District) and (ii) to analyze the relationship between each national outcome rate and the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) of the municipality where urban schools are located, adjusted for sex, age, and working conditions. This cross-sectional study comprised 4979 randomly sampled teachers working in basic education urban schools, of which 83.3% are women. The national absence rates were 17.25% for voice symptoms and 14.93% for psychological symptoms. The rates, SVI, and school locations in the 27 FUs are dynamically visualized in webGIS. The multilevel multivariate logistic regression model showed a positive association between voice outcome and high/very high SVI (OR = 1.05 [1.03; 1.07]), whereas psychological symptoms were negatively associated with high/very high SVI (OR = 0.86 [0.85 0.88]) and positively associated with intermediate SVI (OR = 1.15 [1.13; 1.16]), in contrast with low/very low SVI. Being a woman (voice: OR = 1.36 [1.35; 1.38]; psychological: 1.22 [1.21; 1.24]) and working in schools with various precarious conditions (17 variables) increased the odds of being absent due to voice and psychological symptoms. The results confirm the need for investments to improve working conditions in schools.

Psychosocial factors at work and teachers' illness: a systematic review.

The aim of the present study is to analyze scientific evidence about associations between psychosocial factors at work and teachers' illness. A systematic literature review based on the PRISMA statement was conducted. Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrievel System Online, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Excerpta Medica Database databases were searched. Articles in Portuguese, English and Spanish, published in the past 11 years, were of interest. In total, 861 articles were identified, but only 15 of them met all the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Eleven articles (73.3%) used validated instruments to assess psychosocial factors, and the Job Content Questionnaire was the most cited one. Low social support, heavy workload, high job demands, and low job control were the most commonly investigated factors and showed statistically significant associations with teachers' illness.

O objetivo do presente estudo é analisar as evidências científicas sobre as associações entre os fatores psicossociais do trabalho e o adoecimento de professores. Desenvolveu-se uma revisão sistemática da literatura de acordo com a declaração PRISMA, nos bancos de dados Portal Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO e Excerpta Medica Database, em idioma português, inglês e espanhol e publicados nos últimos 10 anos. Foram identificados 861 estudos, dos quais 15 preencheram os critérios de seleção e foram incluídos na revisão. Onze estudos (73,3%) utilizaram instrumentos validados para avaliação dos fatores psicossociais, sendo o Job Content Questionnaire o mais citado. Os resultados indicam que o baixo apoio social, carga elevada de trabalho, alta demanda e baixo controle sobre o trabalho foram os fatores mais investigados e com presença de significância estatística quanto a associação com o adoecimento de professores.

Self-referred personal behavior profile of university professors: association with communicative and vocal self-evaluation. / Perfil de comportamento pessoal autorreferido por professores universitários: associação com a autoavaliação comunicativa e vocal.

PURPOSE: Describe the self-referred personal behavior profiles of university professors and verify the association of these profiles with the self-assessment of communicative aspects and vocal symptoms. METHODS: Study conducted with 334 professors at a public university who responded to an online questionnaire regarding voice use in teaching practice. Personal behavior profile classification was the response variable, which was divided into four types: pragmatic, analytical, expressive and affable. Explanatory variables were vocal self-perception, vocal resources, and communicative aspects. Descriptive data analysis was performed with application of the Pearson's Chi-squared and Fisher's Exact tests. RESULTS: University professors identified themselves more with the affable and expressive personal behavior profiles. Overall, professors presented good self-perception about vocal and communicative aspects, in addition to having reported few vocal symptoms. Profiles differed for some of the assessed variables, namely, pragmatic professors reported high speech velocity and sporadic eye contact; expressive professors demonstrated self-perception about their voice and strong voice intensity; those in the analytical profile self-reported negative perception about vocal quality, weak voice intensity, poor articulation and rapid speaking rate; the other professors mostly reported voice tiredness symptoms and difficulty projecting the voice. CONCLUSION: University professors identify themselves mostly with the affable and expressive profiles. Self-perception analysis of the personal behavior profile in university professors showed the influence of self-reported personality characteristics on communicative skills in the classroom.

OBJETIVO: Descrever o perfil de comportamento pessoal autorreferido por professores universitários, e verificar a associação destes perfis com a autoavaliação dos aspectos comunicativos e sintomas vocais. MÉTODO: Estudo realizado com 334 professores de uma universidade pública que responderam um questionário online referente ao uso da voz na docência. A variável resposta foi a classificação do perfil de comportamento pessoal, identificado em quatro tipos: pragmático, analítico, expressivo e afável, e as variáveis explicativas foram: autopercepção vocal, recursos vocais e aspectos comunicativos. Foi realizada a análise descritiva dos dados, além dos testes Quiquadrado de Pearson e Exato de Fisher. RESULTADOS: Os professores universitários se identificaram mais com os perfis de comportamento pessoal afável e expressivo. De forma geral, os docentes demonstraram boa autopercepção dos aspectos vocais e comunicativos, além de terem relatado poucos sintomas vocais. Os perfis se diferenciaram em algumas variáveis estudadas: o pragmático relatou velocidade de fala rápida e, às vezes, realizar contato de olhos; o expressivo demonstrou autopercepção positiva de sua voz e intensidade forte. Professores com perfil analítico autorreferiram percepção negativa da qualidade vocal, intensidade fraca, articulação ruim e velocidade de fala rápida e, entre os demais perfis, foi o que mais relatou sintomas de cansaço na voz e dificuldade para projetar a voz. CONCLUSÃO: Professores universitários se identificam predominantemente com os perfis afável e expressivo. A análise da autopercepção do perfil de comportamento pessoal em professores universitários mostra a influência das características da personalidade autorreferidas sobre as habilidades comunicativas em sala de aula.

Vocal Symptoms in University Professors: Their Association With Vocal Resources and With Work Environment.

AIM: Investigating the association among vocal symptoms, vocal resources, and work environment in university professors. METHODS: Online questionnaire answered by 334 professors from a federal public university in Belo Horizonte County, Brazil. The questionnaire addressed sociodemographic data, self-perception about one's voice, vocal resources and work environment, and included the Vocal Signs and Symptoms Questionnaire. Professors presenting five or more vocal symptoms were compared to those who reported fewer symptoms. The association between the number of symptoms and the other variables was assessed through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The mean of symptoms reported by the herein investigated professors was 3.1 (SD ± 2.75); 24% (n = 82) of them reported five or more vocal symptoms. Factors such as female sex, incidence of noise, high speaking rate, as well as high fundamental frequency and loud voice, were associated with the incidence of five or more vocal symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: University professors belonging to the female sex, who perceive the noise in the work environment as unsatisfactory, speak fast, or present high fundamental frequency and loud voice reported the largest number of vocal symptoms. It is recommended developing education programs focused on raising professors' awareness about voice-related risk factors and about the importance of improving their communicative performance.

Perfil de comportamento pessoal autorreferido por professores universitários: associação com a autoavaliação comunicativa e vocal / Self-referred personal behavior profile of university professors: association with communicative and vocal self-evaluation

RESUMO Objetivo Descrever o perfil de comportamento pessoal autorreferido por professores universitários, e verificar a associação destes perfis com a autoavaliação dos aspectos comunicativos e sintomas vocais. Método Estudo realizado com 334 professores de uma universidade pública que responderam um questionário online referente ao uso da voz na docência. A variável resposta foi a classificação do perfil de comportamento pessoal, identificado em quatro tipos: pragmático, analítico, expressivo e afável, e as variáveis explicativas foram: autopercepção vocal, recursos vocais e aspectos comunicativos. Foi realizada a análise descritiva dos dados, além dos testes Quiquadrado de Pearson e Exato de Fisher. Resultados Os professores universitários se identificaram mais com os perfis de comportamento pessoal afável e expressivo. De forma geral, os docentes demonstraram boa autopercepção dos aspectos vocais e comunicativos, além de terem relatado poucos sintomas vocais. Os perfis se diferenciaram em algumas variáveis estudadas: o pragmático relatou velocidade de fala rápida e, às vezes, realizar contato de olhos; o expressivo demonstrou autopercepção positiva de sua voz e intensidade forte. Professores com perfil analítico autorreferiram percepção negativa da qualidade vocal, intensidade fraca, articulação ruim e velocidade de fala rápida e, entre os demais perfis, foi o que mais relatou sintomas de cansaço na voz e dificuldade para projetar a voz. Conclusão Professores universitários se identificam predominantemente com os perfis afável e expressivo. A análise da autopercepção do perfil de comportamento pessoal em professores universitários mostra a influência das características da personalidade autorreferidas sobre as habilidades comunicativas em sala de aula.

ABSTRACT Purpose Describe the self-referred personal behavior profiles of university professors and verify the association of these profiles with the self-assessment of communicative aspects and vocal symptoms. Methods Study conducted with 334 professors at a public university who responded to an online questionnaire regarding voice use in teaching practice. Personal behavior profile classification was the response variable, which was divided into four types: pragmatic, analytical, expressive and affable. Explanatory variables were vocal self-perception, vocal resources, and communicative aspects. Descriptive data analysis was performed with application of the Pearson's Chi-squared and Fisher's Exact tests. Results University professors identified themselves more with the affable and expressive personal behavior profiles. Overall, professors presented good self-perception about vocal and communicative aspects, in addition to having reported few vocal symptoms. Profiles differed for some of the assessed variables, namely, pragmatic professors reported high speech velocity and sporadic eye contact; expressive professors demonstrated self-perception about their voice and strong voice intensity; those in the analytical profile self-reported negative perception about vocal quality, weak voice intensity, poor articulation and rapid speaking rate; the other professors mostly reported voice tiredness symptoms and difficulty projecting the voice. Conclusion University professors identify themselves mostly with the affable and expressive profiles. Self-perception analysis of the personal behavior profile in university professors showed the influence of self-reported personality characteristics on communicative skills in the classroom.

Autopercepção das condições de trabalho por professores de ensino fundamental / Self-perception of working conditions by primary school teachers

RESUMO Objetivo: investigar a percepção dos aspectos ambientais e psicossociais do trabalho de professores de escolas públicas de ensino fundamental e relacionar aos sintomas de desconforto vocal. Métodos: estudo transversal com amostra probabilística de professores de escolas municipais. Participaram do estudo 90 indivíduos (18 homens e 72 mulheres) distribuídos nas faixas etárias de 24 a 65 anos. O instrumento de investigação foi um questionário com 40 questões composto por 5 blocos de perguntas. Foram realizadas: análise descritiva e analise de regressão linear uni e multivariada para verificar as associações entre o número de sintomas vocais e as condições de trabalho dos professores. Resultados: aproximadamente um terço dos professores (34,4%) relataram a presença dos 8 sintomas vocais (média=5,6/DP=2,4). Com relação às características do ambiente de trabalho, a maior parte dos docentes refere ruído elevado ou insuportável como competição sonora ao uso da voz, sendo (43,3%) da sala de aula, e (41,1%) da escola. Quanto aos aspectos psicossociais do trabalho 54,4% dos professores relatou baixa demanda psicológica e 55,6% baixo suporte social. No modelo multivariado final, a variável que apresentou associação com número de sintomas foi o ruído dentro da sala de aula. Conclusão: professores de ensino fundamental apresentam elevado número de sintomas de desconforto vocal. O desconforto vocal se associa significativamente com a presença do ruído em sala de aula. A relação entre os aspectos psicossociais do trabalho e os problemas de voz, apesar de não ter se diferenciado quanto ao número de sintomas vocais neste estudo, precisa ser investigada.

ABSTRACT Purpose: to investigate public elementary school teachers' perception about the environmental and psychosocial aspects of their work and relating this perception to vocal discomfort symptoms. Methods: cross-sectional study encompassing a probabilistic sample comprising public school teachers. The study included 90 individuals (18 men and 72 women) distributed in age groups from 24 to 65 years. The research instrument was a questionnaire composed of 40 questions divided in 5 blocks. Descriptive analysis as well as univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were carried out to verify the associations between the number of vocal symptoms and the teachers' working conditions. Results: approximately one third of the teachers (34.4%) reported eight vocal symptoms (mean=5.6/SD= 2.4). Regarding the working environment features, most teachers mentioned high or unbearable noise as sound competition to voice use: 43.3% of the noise was reported in the classroom, and 41.1% of it was reported in the school. As for the psychosocial aspects of their work, 54.4% of the teachers reported low psychological demand and 55.6% reported low social support. The variable associated with the number of symptoms in the final multivariate model was the noise inside the classroom. Conclusion: primary school teachers show high number of vocal discomfort symptoms. The vocal discomfort is significantly associated to the presence of noise within the classroom. The relation between the psychosocial aspects of the work and the voice disorders needs to be investigated, although there was no difference in the number of vocal symptoms found in the current study.