University Professors' Communicative Competence and Its Relationship With Interpersonal Communication and Voice Symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association between communicative competence self-assessment and interpersonal communication self-perception and voice symptoms in university professors. METHOD: Cross-sectional, analytical, observational study in 322 professors, who answered sociodemographic and occupational questions and three self-perception protocols: Self-Assessment of Communication Competence (SACCom), Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale (ICCS), and Voice Symptom Scale (VoiSS). The dependent variable was SACCom's yes/no answers. Univariate and multivariate descriptive and inferential data analyses were performed through logistic regression. RESULTS: Most professors were females (55.3%), worked 40 hours (96.6%), and self-reported voice symptoms (72.7%). The largest portion had been in the career for 11-22 years (38.2%). The final multivariate model demonstrated that better self-assessed communicative competence among professors (SACCom) is related to an absence of voice complaints (odds ratio (OR) = 2.17; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29-3.65) and better self-perceived interpersonal communication (ICCS) (OR = 1.05; 95% CI 1.02-1.08). The older the professor (OR = 1.03; 95% CI 1.01-1.06), the better their communicative competence (SACCom). CONCLUSIONS: Study professors' self-assessed communicative competence is predominantly high. Those with a better communicative competence self-assessment are older and vocally healthy and self-perceive greater interpersonal communication skills.

Common Mental Disorders and Self-Perceived Interpersonal Communication and Vocal Symptoms in University Professors.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of common mental disorders in university professors and to analyze the same with sociodemographic and occupational data, self-perceived interpersonal communication, and vocal symptoms. METHODS: A Cross-sectional analytical observational quantitative study with 322 university professors. Four assessment instruments: the Sociodemographic and Work Information Questionnaire, the Self-Report Questionnaire, the Brazilian Dysphonia Screening Tool, the Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale, and the Voice Symptom Scale. The study performed descriptive and association analyses. The measure of association was the prevalence ratio, estimated with Poisson regression with robust invariance, considering common mental disorders as a dependent variable. RESULTS: The prevalence of common mental disorders in university professors was 27.6%. There was a significant association between such disorders and self-perceived vocal complaints, the suspicion of dysphonia, and self-perceived difficulties in regards to being heard with a mask (sometimes/always). The higher the score in the self-disclosure domain of the Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale the higher the prevalence of common mental disorders in university professors. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of common mental disorders in university professors is high and influences their self-perception of vocal symptoms and interpersonal relationships. Hence, it reinforces the need for measures to maintain university professors' vocal and mental health.

Factors Associated With the Limitation at Work Because of the Voice: Study With Teachers of Basic Education In Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: The voice disorder can cause limitations at work, as it affects the communication and the performance of the teaching function. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the limitation at work because of the voice and to examine possible associations with sociodemographic characteristics, life and health habits and work conditions among Basic Education teachers in Brazil. METHODS: Cross-sectional epidemiological study, with a representative sample, carried out between October 2015 and March 2016, with 6,324 teachers working in Basic Education in Brazil. Data collection was carried out through the application of a questionnaire via telephone with questions regarding health and working conditions. The "limitation at work because of the voice" was considered a dependent variable, whose response options were a scale with four Likert items that varied from frequently to never. The independent variables were grouped in blocks for ordinal logistic regression analysis with hierarchical entry. The magnitude of the association was assessed by the Odds Ratio (OR) with the respective confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: One third of Brazilian teachers (32.7%) reported some frequency of limitation at work (sometimes; rarely, frequently) because of the voice at some moment in the month before the survey and, of these, 5% declared high frequency. The factors that increased the chance of a greater frequency of limitation at work because of the voice were: being female (OR = 1.32; 95% CI = 1.15-1.51); teaching for elementary school (OR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.02-1.78); use anxiolytic or antidepressant medications (OR = 1.46; 95% CI = 1.20-1.78); losing sleep due to concerns (OR = 1.69; CI = 95% = 1.46-1.95); high noise at school (OR = 2.09; 95% CI = 1.78-2.46); agitated environment by students' indiscipline (OR = 1.37; 95% CI =1.15-1.63); high demands at work (OR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.02-1.36); not having social support (OR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.04-1.38); having suffered verbal violence by the students (OR = 1.43; 95% CI = 1.23-1.67). On the other hand, the practice of regular physical activity (OR = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.75-1.00) and the fact of having enough time to complete work tasks (OR = 0.71; 95% CI = 0,62-0.82) decreased the chance of a higher frequency of limitation at work due to vocal problems. The perception that the work limits the teaching performance because of the voice was more frequent among teachers in the North (OR=1.41; 95% CI = 1.17-1.71) and Northeast (OR=1.46; 95% CI = 1.22-1.76) compared to the Southeast region. CONCLUSION: Factors associated with an increase in the chance of higher frequency of reporting work limitations due to the voice: being female, lack of physical activity, losing sleep due to concern, using anxiolytic or antidepressant medication, school location in the North and Northeast, teaching for the elementary school stage, high noise at school and psychosocial aspects of work organization. The Brazilian educational sector needs public policies that take into account regional inequalities and the health and work conditions of teachers.

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.

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.

Self-reported medical leave by Brazilian Labor-law magistrates.

BACKGROUND: Sick leave can be envisaged as an important public health indicator. Health problems and trouble at work are predictors of absenteeism. OBJECTIVE: Within the context of reforming the judicial system, the aim of this study was to examine whether individual characteristics and working conditions influenced reports of sick leave amongst a population of Brazilian magistrates. METHODS: A web-based survey was conducted in 2011 in such a way as to reach the entire population of Brazilian Labor-law magistrates across the country. The variable of interest related to the question: "Have you taken any medical leave due to illness over the last 12 months?" RESULTS: Less than a quarter of the population participated in the survey, despite widespread publicity produced by the professional association. Among the work-related factors, experiences of violence in the courthouse were shown to be associated with the outcome. No significant association with the material or psychosocial working conditions or with the workload was found. Female, worse health assessment, not participating in social activities and having a mother with higher schooling level were significantly associated with absenteeism among the magistrates. CONCLUSION: It is desirable to formulate sectorial policies focusing on controlling and monitoring violent events in the courthouse.

Absenteeism due to voice disorders in female teachers: a public health problem.

OBJECTIVE: This study estimates the prevalence of absenteeism due to voice disorders among teachers and investigates individual and contextual factors associated with it. METHODS: The study involved 1,980 teachers from 76 municipal schools. The response rate was 85%. The survey was carried out between May 2004 and July 2005 using a self-administered structured questionnaire containing sociodemographic, lifestyle, health, and work-related questions. The dependent variable was obtained from answers to the following question: In the last 2 weeks, have you missed work because of voice problems? Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the associated factors. RESULTS: Voice-related absenteeism in the prior 2 weeks was reported by 66 teachers (3.35%). During their entire careers, approximately one-third of teachers missed work at least once due to voice problems. In the final model, factors associated with recent absenteeism were as follows: witnessing violence by students or parents one or more times (OR = 2.10; 95% CI = 1.14-3.90), presence of depression or anxiety (OR = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.09-3.78), upper respiratory problems in the prior 2 weeks (OR = 2.85; 95% CI = 1.53-5.29), and absenteeism because of voice problems during the preceding 6 months (OR = 15.79; 95% CI = 8.18-30.45). CONCLUSIONS: The results encourage new approaches to the problems of absenteeism in the educational sector and contribute to addressing the weaknesses of economic and administrative approaches to the phenomenon.

Quality of life, self-perceived dysphonia, and diagnosed dysphonia through clinical tests in teachers.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the impact of voice on the quality of life of teachers and to assess whether the degree of dysphonia and otorhinolaryngologists' (ORL) diagnostics are correlated with the quality of life. METHODS: Eighty-eight female teachers from the municipal schools of Belo Horizonte who were in speech therapy at the Speech Therapy Clinic of the Hospital das Clínicas of Minas Gerais participated in the study. The variables studied were age, ORL diagnosis, perceptual-hearing assessment of voice through GRBAS scale, and vocal activities and participation profile (VAPP) protocol. Statistical analysis was performed through the descriptive analysis of the data and the Spearman coefficient of correlation. RESULTS: The average age of the participants was 38 years. Vocal deviation: degree 1-56 teachers (63.6%); degree 2-27 teachers (30.6%); and without vocal deviation-five teachers (5.6%). It was found that 57.9% of the teachers presented combined ORL diagnosis. No statistically significant relationship was observed among the ORL diagnosis, the degree of dysphonia, and the parameter values of quality of life assessed by VAPP. CONCLUSIONS: The examined participants of this study presented light degree of vocal deviation and ORL combined diagnosis. According to the figures obtained by VAPP, there was negative impact of voice on the quality of life of female teachers, but these impacts were not correlated with ORL diagnosis and grade of dysphonia.

Does regular practice of physical activity reduce the risk of dysphonia?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between regular physical activity and the prevalence of dysphonia. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 3142 teachers from 129 municipal public schools in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The dependent variable, dysphonia, was classified (absent or present) according to reported symptoms (fatigue when speaking and loss of voice quality), their frequency (occasionally and daily), and duration (past 15 days). The independent variable was regular physical activity. The degree of association was estimated based on the prevalence ratio and a 95% confidence interval obtained by the Poisson regression adapted for cross-sectional studies. RESULTS: In the study sample, the prevalence of dysphonia in teachers was 15.63%. Nearly half (47.52%) of the teachers reported no regular practice of physical exercises. The remaining teachers (52.48%) walked and did physical exercises, sports, and other activities; 31.25% undertook these activities once or twice a week, and 21.23% exercised three or more times a week. Teachers who did not practice physical activity were more likely to present dysphonia compared to those that exercised three or more times a week. CONCLUSION: Regular physical activity was associated positively with the prevalence of dysphonia.

Voice disorders (dysphonia) in public school female teachers working in Belo Horizonte: prevalence and associated factors.

The objective of this study is to establish the prevalence of dysphonia and associated factors in public school female teachers working in Belo Horizonte. This cross-sectional study was conducted on a random sample of schools between May 2004 and July 2005. There were 2103 elementary education daytime teachers from 83 schools included in the study. Self-applied questionnaires were used for data collection. These included questions on social and demographic matters, general health and mental health (General Health Questionnaire-12 [GHQ-12]), the environment and organization of work, and voice-related aspects. The variable dysphonia was classified as absent, possible, or probable based on the association between frequency of fatigue when speaking and worsened voice quality during the past 15 days. Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze factors independently associated with dysphonia in each response subgroup and in total. One third of the female teachers did not report voice symptoms during the past 15 days (33%). The prevalence of probable dysphonia was 15%, and the prevalence for possible dysphonia was 52%. Factors associated with probable dysphonia were presence of recent upper airway problems (odds ratio [OR]=5.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]=4.06-8.71), problems at work because of voice (OR=65.30, 95% CI=19.33-220.59), other activities with intense voice use (OR=1.71, 95% CI=1.08-2.71), high noise levels (OR=2.55, 95% CI=1.72-3.76), poor ventilation in the classroom (OR=2.00, 95% CI=1.24-3.22), current mental disorder (OR=3.20, 95% CI=2.18-4.70), sedentary life style (OR=1.94, 95% CI=1.21-3.09), and marriage (OR=1.70, 95% CI=1.16-2.47). Associations between probable dysphonia, poor working conditions, health-related aspects, and professional jeopardy indicate the complexity of dysphonia in female teachers and the need for collective intervention strategies.