DR DIANE HAZLETT School of Communication Faculty of Social Sciences University of Ulster, N' Ireland

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DR DIANE HAZLETTSchool of CommunicationFaculty
of Social SciencesUniversity of Ulster, N.
Ireland
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TITLE

• Modelling the behavioural and psychological
  determinants of Occupational Dysphonia in
  teachers.

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STUDY AIMS

• (1) To estimate indicators of Occupational
  Dysphonia in teachers in Northern Ireland, with a
  view to identifying causal factors underlying
  vocal dysfunction
• (2) To investigate possible aetiological
  relationships which predispose Occupational
  Dysphonia
• (3) To verify Physiological, Behavioural,
  Environmental and Psychological demands on the
  teaching voice.

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LITERATURE

• Prevalence
• Impact
• Vocal and Occupational demands
• Measures

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DEFINITIONS

• Voice problem / disorder
• A voice condition of sufficient concern for the
  bearer to report it, register functional
  disruption because of it and / or seek treatment
  because of it
• (Verdolini and Ramig, 2001)

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DEFINITIONS

• Occupational dysphonia
• A voice condition, due to work-related overuse
  or abuse of voicing or the vocal mechanism.
• (Sapir et al., 1993)

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Risk Factors for Dysphonia

• Misuse Loud talking, yelling, screaming,
• Hard glottal attacks,
• Speaking or singing outside range,
• Speaking in a noisy environment,
• Excessive coughing and throat clearing,
• Grunting (in exercising, lifting),
• Excessive talking,
• Loud, hard abusive laughing,
• Producing voice if tissues are inflamed.
•  
• Exposure Alcohol consumption,
• Medication,
• Caffeine,
• Recreational drugs,
• Smoke,
• Reflux of stomach contents.
•  
• Psychogenic Musculoskeletal tension. (Johnson,
  1994)

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  Risk Factors in Professional Voice Use  

   
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METHODOLOGY
Sample 224 primary and secondary
non-clinical teachers from 69 schools
in NI Data Collection Vocology Screening
Profile self-response
questionnaire Data Analysis Structural
Equation Modelling using LISREL
confirmatory factor analysis
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VOCOLOGY SCREENING PROFILE PHYSIOLOGICAL
INDICATORS VOICE ACOUSTIC, SENSATION,
FUNCTION MEDICAL
CONDITIONS,ASSESSMENT,INTERVENTION
PREVALENCE POINT, YEAR,
CAREER BEHAVIOURAL INDICATORS   TENSION
POSTURE, SITE, FATIGUE BEHAVIOURS
SPEAKING, SHOUTING, NON-VERBAL PATTERNS
ENDURANCE, DISTANCE, NOISE  
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VOCOLOGY SCREENING PROFILE   PSYCHOLOGICAL
INDICATORS   AFFECTIVE CONCERN, FRUSTRATION,
WORRY ANXIETY ANXIETY PRESENT, ANXIETY
ABSENT STRESS WORK, HOME, COPING
STRATEGIES ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS   VOCATIONA
L AIR QUALITY, ACOUSTICS, ROOM SIZE SOCIAL
SINGING, SPORTS, PRESENTATIONS LIFES
TYLE SMOKING, DIET, HYDRATION,
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GROUP CLASSIFICATION

• NORMAL voice reported as normal, based on the
  current and past self-evaluation of vocal status.
• INDICATIVE some voice or throat problems
  reported over the past year, currently voice is
  described as normal.
• VOICE PROBLEM voice currently described as
  not normal, with reports of frequent voice or
  throat problems over the past year.

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STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELLING

• multivariate methodology
• tested the hypothesised model in a simultaneous
  analysis of all the variables
• determined the extent to which it was consistent
  with the data

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RESULTS BEHAVIOURAL INDICATORS
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FULL STRUCTURAL MODEL Significant relationships
VOICE DISORDER
BEHAVIOURS
INDICATIVE
ACOUSTIC
ANXIETY ABSENT
YEARS TEACHING
MECHANICAL
ANXIETY PRESENT
STRESS
SENSATION
AFFECTIVE
SMOKING
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DISCUSSION

• Objective voice stressor measures in teaching
• Links between objective work environment and
  vocal health outcomes
• Relationships and relative impact of underlying
  biopsychosocial factors

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CONCLUSIONS

• Voice screening in a range of work environments
• Efficacy of preventive voice care
• Occupational vocal health and safety

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For further information, please contact Dr
Diane Hazlett School of Communication Univ
ersity of Ulster at Jordanstown Shore
Road Newtownabbey Co. Antrim BT37
0QB N.Ireland Tel [phone]
8905 e-mail de.hazlett_at_ulst.ac.uk