title: Effectiveness of a Short Voice Training Program for Teachers: A Preliminary Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Using their voices in inappropriate working conditions causes teachers to misuse their voices, because in order to be heard they need to force their voices.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This preliminary study examines the effects of a short-term voice training program aimed at teachers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The pre- and posttraining evaluations consisted of acoustic, perceptual (GRBAS [grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain]), aerodynamic, and subjective measurements (VHI-10).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicate that the voice performance of teachers improves after 25 hours of training. Specifically, significant changes are observed at the acoustic level, in fundamental frequency (F0) and in frequency perturbation measures (Jitter, PPQ [pitch perturbation quotient]), as well as in subjective voice assessment using the Voice Handicap Index (VHI-10), in both the physical subscale (VHI-P) and the total score (VHI-T).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms the effectiveness of the training program and discusses the most sensitive measures for evaluating the short-term effect of the change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, University of Granada, Granada, Spain. Electronic address: jmunoz@ugr.es.
authors.forename: Juana Muñoz
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: López
authors.affiliation: Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catena
authors.affiliation: Center for Teachers (CEP), Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montes
authors.affiliation: Phoniatrics and Speech Medical Center, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Castillo
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016272:Occupational Health; D000074286:Preliminary Data; D015397:Program Evaluation; D000070777:School Teachers; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014833:Voice Quality; D014834:Voice Training
keywords: Acoustic measurements; Aerodynamic measures; GRBAS; Voice Handicap Index; Voice training