title: The effectiveness of a voice treatment approach for teachers with self-reported voice problems.
abstract: Teachers are considered the professional group most at risk of developing voice-problems, but limited treatment effectiveness evidence exists. We studied prospectively the effectiveness of a 6-week combined treatment approach using vocal function exercises (VFEs) and vocal hygiene (VH) education with 20 teachers with self-reported voice problems. Twenty subjects were randomly assigned to a no-treatment control (n = 11) and a treatment group (n = 9). Fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation was carried out on all subjects before randomization. Two self-report voice outcome measures were used: the Voice-Related Quality of Life (VRQOL) and the Voice Symptom Severity Scale (VoiSS). A Voice Care Knowledge Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), developed specifically for the study, was also used to evaluate change in selected voice knowledge areas. A Student unpaired t test revealed a statistically significant (P < 0.05) improvement in the treatment group as measured by the VoiSS. There was not a significant improvement in the treatment group as measured by the V-RQOL. The difference in voice care knowledge areas was also significant for the treatment group (P < 0.05). This study suggests that a voice treatment approach of VFEs and VH education improved self-reported voice symptoms and voice care knowledge in a group of teachers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech & Language Therapy, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. pgmurphy@mater.ie
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gillivan-Murphy
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Drinnan
authors.forename: Tadhg P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: O'Dwyer
authors.forename: Hayder
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ridha
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carding
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013070:Speech Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D014833:Voice Quality