Comparison of the occurrence of signs and symptoms of vocal and change discomfort in the vocal tract in teachers from different levels of education

Abstract

Purpose: To analyze and compare the occurrence of signs and symptoms of voice and vocal tract discomfort in teachers from different educational levels. Methods: There were 112 teachers, of both sexes, of different grade levels, as follows: 38 of kindergarten, 28 of elementary I, 18 elementary school II and 28 high school. Participants self-rated their voices and answered a questionnaire of personal characteristics and work, Signs and Symptoms Vocal Check list, the Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale (frequency scale). The data were statistically analyzed according to the teaching levels using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Pearson's Chi-Square test (p < 0.05). Results: In high school, the median age and the frequency of male teachers was significantly higher than in other levels of education. There was no difference in the vocal self-assessment, the occurrence of vocal signs and symptoms and frequency of vocal tract discomfort, depending on the level of education of teachers. Conclusion: It is concluded that there was no difference in the occurrence of signs and symptoms of voice and vocal tract discomfort in teachers from different educational levels.