title: Vocal tract discomfort in teachers: its relationship to self-reported voice disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify vocal tract discomfort (VTD) in teachers and determine its relationship to the presence of self-reported voice problems (S-rVPs), vocal signs and symptoms, voice self-assessment, and perceptual analysis of voice quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two teachers with vocal complaints and 30 teachers with no complaints.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic questionnaire, signs and symptoms questionnaire, VTD scale, vocal self-assessment, and perceptual analysis of voice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The S-rVPs group was presented with higher frequency of all vocal signs and symptoms and also had greater frequency and intensity of discomfort than the teachers without complaint, for all the analyzed items (P<0.05). The group with S-rVPs experienced more than twice the level of discomfort than the group without S-rVPs (mean 6.3 vs 2.8 symptoms, P<0.05). Teachers with voice problems felt at least three symptoms of discomfort, whereas some teachers without complaint did not have any discomfort. We found a correlation between self-perceived voice and VTD. On the other hand, there is little correlation between discomfort and perceptual analysis of voice quality. VTD is also associated with specific voice signs/symptoms that might indicate an incipient voice disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study reveals the importance of understanding the subjects' perception of their own problems so that issues experienced by patients that are not directly apparent to the clinician can be addressed in the treatment. Symptoms related to the vocal tract must therefore be given consideration to ensure a comprehensive and more relevant approach to the needs of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. grodrigues.fono@gmail.com
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zambon
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mathieson
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Behlau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019540:Area Under Curve; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007830:Larynx / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016272:Occupational Health; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013067:Speech Perception; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014833:Voice Quality; D055815:Young Adult