Effects of pedagogical ideology on the perceived loudness and noise levels in preschools

Dysphonia, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, thyroid diseases, and noise complaints as probable factors associated with hearing loss among teachers

ABSTRACT Objective: to verify a possible association between hearing loss and dysphonia, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, thyroid diseases, and noise complaints. Methods: a cross-sectional study involving 60 teachers, mean age 47.05 years. Pure-tone threshold audiometry was used to assess hearing, the voice questionnaire and voice acoustic evaluation were used for voice perception and quality, and the standardized questionnaire verified noise complaint and comorbidities. The statistical analysis was conducted with Mann-Whitney and Fisher's exact tests and multivariate linear regression. Results: there was a significant association between hearing loss and diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and thyroid disease (both p <0.0001), but there was no association between noise complaints and hearing loss in this population. The regression showed that dysphonia (p = 0.0311) and diabetes mellitus (p = 0.0302) are independent risk factors for hearing loss. A correlation was found between hearing loss and voice characteristics: roughness, breathiness, tension, and resonance. Conclusion: this study showed that hypertension and thyroid diseases are factors associated with hearing loss. In addition, dysphonia and diabetes mellitus are independent factors associated with hearing loss in teachers. These results show the need for policies aimed at promoting teachers’ health.

Vocal fatigue in doctors: evaluation with subjective and objective acoustic parameters

AIM

The aim of this study was to investigate the voice problems with vocal loading in physicians.

METHOD

It was planned to have two groups and thirty participants in each group. The participants were surgeon and nonsurgeon, male and female doctors (first group: 15 female +15 male nonsurgeon; second group: 15 female +15 male surgeon). Volunteers were also separated according to the duration of career, patients seen daily and polyclinic days weekly. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores and voice fatigue index (VFI) version 2 were applied. Objective measurements (F0, jitter, shimmer, harmonics-to-noise ratio) of acoustic evaluation according to the same variables were recorded.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant difference in the number of patients seen daily between the groups (<50 patients/day and >50 patients/day) in terms of VFI parts 1 and 2 averages. There was a statistically significant difference between branches (surgical vs. nonsurgical) in terms of VFI part 1 (p = .034). The tiredness of voice was prominent in the physicians who saw more patients and who had more workdays weekly and who were nonsurgeon (VFI part 1). Physical discomfort was more prominent in physicians whose duration of career was long and whose daily patients were more (VFI part 2) (p < .05).The number of patients seen daily and number of days to work did not affect objective acoustic parameters. Being experienced as year in women and being surgeon decreased the mean shimmer values in objective measurements (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

Physicians experienced vocal fatigue (VF) in varying degrees according to the differences in working conditions.

Teachers' and Children's Experiences after an Acoustic Intervention and a Noise-Controlling Workshop in Two Elementary Classrooms

INTRODUCTION

Treating sources of noise is a novel aspect of voice ergonomics intended to enhance the preconditions for good voice production and easy listening.

OBJECTIVE

To improve experiences of listening and voice ergonomics in classrooms.

METHODS

Participants were two female elementary school teachers with voice symptoms and their pupils (n = 50). Two interventions were performed: the acoustic intervention and then the workshop intervention where the teachers and pupils were active. Teachers' voice symptoms and pupils' and teachers' experiences of the interventions were elicited by questionnaire.

RESULTS

The teacher with many voice symptoms experienced more annoyance from sounds and benefitted more from the interventions. After the interventions both teachers suffered fewer voice breaks and voice symptoms such as lump and mucus in the throat. The pupils reported improvement in the teachers' voice clarity and audibility (p = 0.001). Pupils aged 12-13 years were more annoyed by sounds than those aged 8-9 years (p = 0.003). The older pupils experienced less sound annoyance after both interventions and the younger ones after the workshop intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

The importance of good acoustics and individuals' ability to improve voice ergonomics and listening conditions was demonstrated.

The Others Are Too Loud! Children's Experiences and Thoughts Related to Voice, Noise, and Communication in Nordic Preschools

BACKGROUND

High noise levels affect hearing, voice use, and communication. Several studies have reported high noise levels in preschools and impaired voice quality in children. Noise and poor listening conditions impair speech comprehension in children more than in adults and even more for children with hearing or language impairment, attention deficits, or another first language.

AIM

The aim of this study was to explore how children in Finland, Sweden, and Iceland describe the preschool environment in relation to noise, voice, and verbal communication; what were their experiences, knowledge and ideas in relation to voice, noise, and communication. Children's awareness of effects of noise, reactions, and coping strategies were also studied. In addition, country and gender differences were analyzed.

METHODS

Eighteen Icelandic, 14 Finnish, and 16 Swedish children were interviewed using a common interview-guide. Swedish and Finnish children were interviewed in focus groups and Icelandic children individually. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically by the native speaker. The interviews were translated to English to be re-analyzed for inter-judge reliability of identified themes. Inter-judge reliability was calculated using percentage absolute agreement.

RESULTS

The interviews resulted in 1052 utterances, 471 from focus groups, and 581 from individual interviews. Three themes were identified, Experiences, Environment, and Strategies with two to three subcategories. Inter-judge agreement for the themes was excellent, 92-98%. Experiences occurred in 55% of the utterances. The subcategories were bodily and emotional experiences and experiences of hearing and being heard. Environment occurred in 20% of the utterances, with subcategories indoor vs. outdoor and noise. Strategies was found in 15%, with subcategories games and problem oriented actions. The only significant difference between the countries was for the theme Strategies where the Swedish children produced more utterances than the Finnish. No gender differences were found.

CONCLUSION

Children are aware of high noise levels and mainly blame other children for making noise and shouting. They describe reactions and strategies related to noise like impaired communication and effects on hearing but are less aware of effects on voice. Expressed thoughts were similar across countries. No gender differences were found.