Vocal self-assessment: Relation with the type of instrument, gender, age, and profession in individuals without vocal complaints

Abstract

Objective: To obtain the vocal self-assessment rates of individuals without vocal complaints and relate them to gender, occupation, and age range. Methods: This is an observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study. In this study, 601 individuals without vocal complaints, 241 men and 360 women, aged between 18 and 59 years (mean of 30.1 years) were included. The individuals were divided into following age groups: 18-29 years (n = 353; 58.7%), 30-44 years (n = 159; 26.5%), and 45-59 years (n = 89; 14.8%); 136 individuals (22.6%) were voice professionals and 465 (77.4%) were nonprofessionals. The individuals answered a questionnaire with identification data and the protocols Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL), Voice Handicap Index (VHI), and Voice Activity and Participation Profile (VAPP). The data were statistically analyzed. Results: Mean scores obtained in the V-RQOL, VHI, and VAPP were 95.5, 5.37, and 3.06, respectively. If we transfer these values to the base 100, differences were found in the scores of the VHI and VAPP. Women presented significantly lower scores in the V-RQOL and VHI. Moreover, there were no differences in the mean scores obtained by the different age groups. Regarding professional vocal use, there were differences in the VHI and VAPP, and the "nonprofessionals" presented lower VHI than professionals. Conclusion: The type of the instrument, gender, and profession variables can influence the vocal self-assessment results.