Psychometric evaluations of Voice Disordered Quality of Life (VQOL) in teachers with the municipal system in Bauru, SP, Brazil / Avaliações psicométricas de qualidade de vida e voz em professores da rede municipal de Bauru

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2009

RESUMO

Teachers are voice professionals who have been widely studied by national and international researchers. Studies show a high prevalence of vocal alterations among teachers. One of the criteria for the establishment of vocal alteration prevalence, is based on teachers´ self-perception, termed as self-reported dysphonia (when the teacher him/herself reports the vocal alteration). To know the degree in which vocal alteration may affect a teacher´s life and his/her career, is consistent with that proposed by the World Health Organization, which suggests assessing the impact of a disease, taking into account the patient´s point of view and not the evaluator´s. This study aimed at comparing voice disordered quality of life (VQOL) measures between a group of teachers who reported vocal alteration and a group of teachers who did not, by verifying the teacher´s perception as for the impact of vocal alteration in the different dimensions of voice quality of life. Ninety-eight teachers, from 11 municipal schools of Bauru and in different grades (infantile and fundamental teaching and education of adolescents and adults), participated in this study. All teachers answered three psychometric protocols of voice quality of life: Voice Handicap Index (VHI), Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL), and the Voice Activity Participation Profile (VAPP), besides a questionnaire for the characterization of the sample. The result shows that 39.8% of teachers reported vocal alteration. When comparing voice measures between the groups with and without vocal alteration, statistically significant differences were observed: the total score of VHI and its dimensions (physical, emotional and functional); total score of V-RQOL and its dimensions (physical and socio-emotional functioning), and total score of VAAP and its dimensions (severity of vocal problem, effect on work, effect on daily communication, effect on social communication and emotion). It was verified, too, that the physical dimension of VHI has a greater impact among the dimensions of this protocol, both for the group with complaint and the one without complaint, indicating a laryngeal discomfort and difficulty at speaking. As for VRQOL, the most striking dimension was the physical functioning domain, also indicating the laryngeal discomfort and the impact of voice on communication, in teachers with and with no complaint. As for VAAP, no domain prevailed over the others, in the group with no complaint. For teachers with complaint, three domains, i.e., daily communication, work and emotions have a greater impact than social communication. The limitation and restriction scores were calculated as well, and it was observed the limitation of activities is greater than the restriction of activities, both in the group with and the group without complaint. One may conclude that the teachers who reported vocal alterations, better realize the impact of voice in different dimensions of voice quality of life.

ASSUNTO(S)

alteração vocal voice disorders teachers professores qualidade de vida quality of life

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