Occupational Vocal Health of Elite Sports Coaches: An Exploratory Pilot Study of Football Coaches.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the occupational voice use and vocal health of elite football coaches.


METHODS
This pilot study explored coaches' voice use patterns and vocal demands across workplace environments. Each coach's experiences of voice symptoms and voice problems were also investigated.


METHODS
Twelve Australian professional football coaches participated in a mixed-methods data collection approach. Data were collected through acoustic voice measurement (Ambulatory Phonation Monitor), semistructured interviews, and a voice symptom questionnaire (Voice Capabilities Questionnaire).


RESULTS
Acoustic measures suggested heavy vocal loads for coaches during player training. All participants reported experiencing voice symptoms. They also suggested that the structure of their working week, workplace tasks, and vocal demands impacted on their voices. Despite this, participants reported little previous reflection or awareness of what impacted on their voices. Coaches typically did not consider how to support their voices during daily work and discussed experiencing voice symptoms as an inevitable part of their jobs.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that occupational vocal demands may negatively impact on sports coaches' vocal health. This is particularly important, considering coaches' heavy vocal loads across coaching tasks and reported negative occupational vocal health experience. Furthermore, coaches' limited insight into voice use and vocal health management may impact on their vocal performance and health. Given the exploratory nature of this study, further research into coaches' occupational vocal health is warranted.
Department of Public Health, School of Public Health and Human Biosciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: katie.buckley@live.com.au.
Katie L
KL
Buckley
Department of Public Health, School of Public Health and Human Biosciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Paul D
PD
O'Halloran
Department of Human Communication Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Jennifer M
JM
Oates
D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005538:Football; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016272:Occupational Health; D010699:Phonation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014831:Voice; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology
Ambulatory phonation monitoring; Occupational voice user; Sports coach; Vocal health; Vocal health experiences; Vocal load; Voice use patterns