Voice health program for fundamental school teacher: evaluation, self-perception and educative action of voice

• Grant number: 09/01507-6
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2009
• Effective date (End): March 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Speech Therapy
• Principal researcher: Antonio Carlos Pereira
• Grantee: Raquel Aparecida Pizolato
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba (FOP). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Objective: to assess a practical/theoretical intervention program aimed at vocal reeducation in elementary and high school teachers, as well as to evaluate the vocal status of the participants after application of the program. Methods: Two hundred public school teachers, aged 22-55 years, both genders, will be interviewed and evaluated. Participants will be selected from 10 schools (randomly chosen), based in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil, and then assigned to two groups: experimental (n=100; 5 schools) and control (n=100; 5 schools). Before the program is initiated, volunteers will answer the questionnaires involving questions on general health, vocal health, and physical aspects of their workplace. A 'Quality of Life and Voice' (QLV) protocol will be used to assess the impact of dysphonia on their quality of life; besides, volunteers will be told to judge their self-perception towards their vocal health based on a qualitative scale. A clinical examination will be carried out to evaluate the presence, or not, of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular dysfunction (Research Diagnostic Criteria - RDC). A sustained vowel /a/ sound will be recorded twice using digital recorder and the one with better quality will be chosen by three previously-calibrated examiners who will evaluate the participants' quality of voice using the GRBAS scale. Acoustic analysis, considering fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and harmonics-to-noise ratio, will be done in the laboratory of the Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto (FMRP-USP), SP, Brazil, using software Soung Forge 7.0 (Sony ®). After data collection, the experimental group will receive vocal training, twice a week, for three months while the control will include an educative theory program, involving lectures (n=2) and folders containing guidance on voice care. Three months after completion of the educational programs voice (experimental and control), dependent variables (phonetic vowel length, QLV score, and vocal self-perception) will be reassessed. Data concerning dependent (phonetic vowel length, QLV score, and vocal self-perception, and GRBAS scale) and independent (groups) variables as well as 'voice acoustic' parameters (fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and harmonics-to-noise ratio) will then be submitted to statistical analysis (Chi-square and Fisher's, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis). Expected outcome: Within the limitations of this study, the authors expect to collect data that will help develop educational approaches to improve the vocal status of educators in their workplace. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PIZOLATO, RAQUEL APARECIDA; BELTRATI CORNACCHIONI REHDER, MARIA INES; DOS SANTOS DIAS, CARLOS TADEU; MENEGHIM, MARCELO DE CASTRO; BOVI AMBROSANO, GLAUCIA MARIA; MIALHE, FABIO LUIZ; PEREIRA, ANTONIO CARLOS. Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Voice Training Program for Teachers. JOURNAL OF VOICE, v. 27, n. 5, p. 603-610, SEP 2013. Web of Science Citations: 14.

PIZOLATO, RAQUEL APARECIDA; BELTRATI CORNACCHIONI REHDER, MARIA INES; MENEGHIM, MARCELO DE CASTRO; BOVI AMBROSANO, GLAUCIA MARIA; MIALHE, FABIO LUIZ; PEREIRA, ANTONIO CARLOS. Impact on quality of life in teachers after educational actions for prevention of voice disorders: a longitudinal study. HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES, v. 11, FEB 27 2013. Web of Science Citations: 11.