Naslov
Self-reported demographic details, history on voice-related diseases, subjective voice complaints, life-style habits, and voice description in primary school teachers

Autori
Kovačić, Gordana ; Buđanovac, Aleksandar

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Skup
4th Paneuropean Voice Conference

Mjesto i datum
Stockholm, Švedska, 26.08.2001. - 28.08.2001

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
teachers; vocal hyperfunction; voice problems; subjective voice complaints; vocal fatigue; life-style habits; voice quality

Sažetak
Teachers are especially endangered among professional voice users. Although they comprise only a small percentage of the working population, they are the most frequent clients in voice clinics. The demands upon their voices are great. Prolonged and loud talking is a direct sign of hyperfunction of the sensitive vocal mechanism so it is understandable why the teachers are particularly prone to suffer damage to their voices. Frequent complaints related to vocal production are various and the most common include vocal fatigue and hoarseness. The aim of the present study was to investigate four aspects important for the teaching profession. The questionnaire was administrated to 62 primary school teachers (mean age=41.77 years). The four aspects investigated were (1) general information - age, working experience, working hours per week, missing hours due to voice problems, attitutes toward voice education, etc., (2) history on voice disorders and voice-related diseases, (3) subjective voice complaints - voice fatigue in particular, and (4) life-style habits - smoking, work out, sleeping time, tea-, coffee- and alcohol consumption, birth-controle pills, etc. Additionally, the satisfaction with the voice and description of its quality was examined using the list of suggested voice qualities. The descriptive statistics results revealed some important facts, i.e. lack of awareness about the voice that would make teachers seek for the professional help, so the most common strategies in self-treatment were taking pastilles and tea, and voice rest. Among most frequent subjective complaints were hoarseness, lower voice pitch, unpleasant feeling in the throat (pain and tension), need to cough and voice breaks. However, the most of the teachers were satisfied with their voices and the most frequent descriptions of their own voices were pleasant, loud, warm, but also lower in voice pitch, authoritative and hoarse.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Pedagogija

POVEZANOST RADA