Vocal behavior and working conditions of teachers after speech therapy for treatment of behavioral dysphonia

摘要

Purpose Check the vocal habits and changes in the working environment of teachers with functional dysphonia before and after participation in the Comprehensive Vocal Rehabilitation Program. Methods Cross-sectional study using medical records of municipal teachers (step 1), and questionnaires after speech therapy (step 2). The 25 participants underwent speech therapy for functional dysphonia and answered the questionnaire over a period of at least six months after concluding the treatment. Data were collected through the retrospective analyses of the patients medical records, and by questionnaire via the internet. We performed a descriptive analysis and McNemar, Wilcoxon and Test-t tests considering a significance level of 5%. Results When comparing the time before and after the speech therapy, we found that teachers noticed a worsening in ventilation, temperature and noise originated with in the school. Teachers have increased the use of the microphone. They increased the practice of vocal warm-up and cool-down after the speech therapy. There was no statistical significance between the groups in the parameters of the Protocol of the Profile of Participation and activities. Conclusion The vocal behavior and the work environment changed after the intervention. The use of vocal warm-up and cool-down after speech therapy increased, indicating that teachers are more aware about the benefits of vocal exercises. The use of the microphone has increased, but the amount of water consumed during the day is lower than expected.