title: Comparative Analysis of Characteristics of Voice Use Amidst Clergy.
abstract: The development of "Care of the Professional Voice" as a subspecialty of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has expanded the concept of professional voice users. Although sometimes uncompensated, the clergy represents a unique group of voice users who are required to perform at a professional level. Additionally, cultural norms create great diversity in terms of style of delivery and typical venues, adding to the interest in this subset of professional voice users. We surveyed 403 respondents and found certain factors predictive of voice problems for members of the clergy. Age, length of sermon, and ethnicity were all found to be statistically significant indicators. Further investigations are needed.
authors.affiliation: Chicago Institute for Voice Care, University of Illinois Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Jan Potter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.affiliation: Chicago Institute for Voice Care, University of Illinois Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois. Electronic address: hssims@uic.edu.
authors.forename: H Steven
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Sims
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002977:Clergy; D054521:Cultural Competency; D005006:Ethnicity; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000208:ethnology; D009790:Occupations; D012067:Religion; D012307:Risk Factors; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013997:Time Factors; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014833:Voice Quality
keywords: Clergy; Cultural competence; Hoarseness; Professional voice; Voice