ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Voice of Professional Voice Users (PVUs) are of particular interest to practicing Speech-Language Pathologists. There is a dearth of studies concerning the prevalence of voice disorders and the associated risk factors among Tamil-speaking Imams. We address this research gap using non-experimental survey research. METHODS: A questionnaire was framed by reviewing earlier literature. The derived questionnaire was administered to one hundred Tamil-speaking Imams actively involved in religious service in Tamil Nadu. We analyzed the obtained responses quantitatively and qualitatively. We also examined the effect of age on the prevalence of voice disorders and associated risk factors. RESULTS: Based on survey responses, the career prevalence of voice problems among Tamil-speaking Imams was as high as 89%, and the point prevalence was 64%. The general health status of the Imams were good. However, vocal health was not satisfactory. This study identified several factors that contribute to voice problems, such as constant use of loud voice, acid reflux, unhealthy vocal habits, and insufficient hydration. A positive aspect observed during this study was the absence of smoking and consumption of alcohol among Imams. Even though the Imams presented good awareness of the voice production mechanism, they reported not seeking medical help when facing a voice problem. Current findings report a minimal impact of age-related differences on associated risk factors for voice disorders among the Imams. CONCLUSIONS: Voice disorders are prevalent among Tamil-speaking Imams. Several risk factors leading to voice disorders among these individuals need to be addressed.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Imams are professional voice users at risk of developing voice problems. Speech-Language Pathologists need to provide intervention programs to target risk factors associated with voice disorders and improve the voice quality of Imams. However, studies examining the effect of vocal training for Imams are limited in the literature. OBJECTIVES: This study attempted to document the acoustic and auditory-perceptual changes in the voices of Tamil-speaking Imams with a voice projection training program. METHODS: Eleven Tamil-speaking Imams participated in a voice projection training program. Voice samples were recorded at four specific time points before, during, and after the voice projection training. These recordings were subjected to various acoustic analyses (AVQI, Dr Speech, and MDVP) and auditory-perceptual analysis (CAPE-V) to determine the changes with the voice projection training. RESULTS: Auditory-Perceptual analysis carried out by five experienced SLPs suggested significant changes in the voice quality of the participants with voice projection training. High inter-rater reliability was observed across the judges as well. We observed positive changes in several acoustic measures indicated within AVQI, Dr Speech, and MDVP software. These primarily included changes in fundamental frequency, noise related measures (HNR, SNR), and perturbation measures. CONCLUSION: Voice projection training positively impacts the acoustic and auditory-perceptual characteristics of the voices of Tamil-speaking Imams.