title: 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The type of the instrument, gender, and profession variables can influence the vocal self-assessment results.
authors.affiliation: Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Department, Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste - UNICENTRO, Irati, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Dassie-Leite
authors.affiliation: Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Course, Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste - UNICENTRO, Irati, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Delazeri
authors.affiliation: Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Course, Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste - UNICENTRO, Irati, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baldissarelli
authors.affiliation: Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Course, Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste - UNICENTRO, Irati, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jaqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department and Postgraduate Program in Child and Adolescent Health, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz de
authors.initials: Ld
authors.lastname: Lacerda Filho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D019937:Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D014833:Voice Quality / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult