Browsing by Subject "äänioire"

Aims of the study. Actors, singers and other professional voice users are at a high risk of experiencing voice problems during their careers. The biggest reasons for this are heavy vocal load and the voice user’s internal and external factors. Voice professionals’ voice problems are common, even though the awareness of vocal health and the knowledge and the use of voice care are good. This study aims to map self-reported voice problems and the occupation-spesific special features of voice use in adult voice actors working in Finland. The aim of the survey was to find out what kinds of vocal symptoms exist and how they affect the voice actors’ psycho-social well-being. Moreover the prevalence of risk factors and their connection to voice symptoms was searched. Voice actors’ voice care was also mapped. The aim of this study is to create new knowledge of an unresearched occupation. Methods. The research material was collected using an electronic survey. The survey was created for this research. The survey consisted of research-spesific sections and included both validated sections that had been translated to Finnish (Screen11 and Voice Handicap Index) and sections that were created for this research. In the survey there were both open and closed questions. 24 voice actors answered the questionnaire. The analysis of the research material was done with SPSS. In the qualitative analysis the questions were typificated, compiled to statistics and example answers were chosen. The statistic analysis was used to find out the prevalence of certain phenomena. Saphiro-Wilk normality test was conducted and on basis of the results correlations and the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U -test were chosen over parametric tests. These tests aimed to find out the connections of dependent and independent variables. Results and conclusions. The participating voice actors didn’t report having voice problems within the 12 month period under consideration. Thus voice problems didn’t affect the participants’ experince of psycho-social competence. Other questions, however, revealed a prevalence of 79,2% voice problems. There was no connection of risk factors, such as using demanding voice qualities, to vocal symptoms or the psycho-social experince. Voice actors had searched for and had reseived help from professionals, such as phoniatrists and speech therapists. The experiences of the benefits varied. Nearly all given voice care means were in use. Because the research material was limited and the survey would need some adjustment, more research is needed. This research offers some guidelines in the study of voice actors’ voice problems, but on basis of this research conclusions or generalisations of the prevalence of voice problems or risk factors can’t be made.

Aim of the study. Continuous vocal loading strains the vocal cords, which can lead to voice symptoms. Especially for professional voice users like teachers, voice symptoms may cause psychosocial harm. However, the amount of psychosocial harm is not linked directly to the amount of voice symptoms, but varies according to individual's vocal needs and requirements. Teaching of some subjects is more linked to vocal risk factors and voice symptoms are more common among teachers of certain substances. Previous studies have found that teacher students have more voice symptoms than other university students, but there hasn't been any comparative research about the differences between teacher students studying different subjects. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of voice symptoms of Helsinki University teacher students and examine the psychosocial harm caused to them by voice symptoms. In addition this study investigates how voice symptoms and psychosocial harm influences the assessment of ones voice. Voice symptoms and the amount of psychosocial harm of students of different subjects are being compared in order to see whether there are differences already before graduating. Methods. The data was gathered by electronical questionnaire during spring 2015. The questionnaire was sent out to all students of the department of teacher education in Helsinki University who were on any of the mailing lists of student organizations. A total of 190 students from all classes and training fields participated the study. The questionnaire consists of background information form and questionnaires about vocal symptoms (voice screening test) and the psychosocial impacts of voice disorders (VHI). The data was analyzed mainly by using quantitative methods. Results. The results show that voice symptoms are quite common among teacher students and about 40 % of them reported frequently occurring voice symptoms. This study shows a clear association between voice symptoms and psychosocial harm and the self-assessment of voice. However, one of the main discoveries of this study is that almost 90 % of the students did not have notable psychosocial impacts and almost 80 % actually considered their voice normal. Surprisingly this research shows that students can regard their voice normal despite the fact that they have voice symptoms. The amount of voice symptoms and psychosocial harm was equally high among students of all different subjects.

Aim: The voice is an important part of group fitness instructors’ work. Yet, the working conditions of group fitness instructors are vocally challenging due to acoustics, air conditioning, background noise and physical strain. Voice problems of group fitness instructors are quite briefly researched, but some studies show that these problems are common within this industry. The aim of this study is to find out what kind of voice symptoms occur among group fitness instructors, how often they occur, and also how many instructors have vocal symptoms. In addition it studies how the symptoms are felt to influence on individuals functioning and if there is a connection between the symptoms and the handicap caused by them. Methods: The material was gathered using an electrical survey and formed by answers of 276 group fitness instructors. All the subjects worked as group fitness instructors at least once a week. The survey had three parts: basic knowledge form, vocal symptom survey of seven symptoms and Voice Activity and Participation Profile. The material was analysed using statistical methods on program IBM SPSS Statistics 22. Statistical testing was made using nonparametrical tests. Frequencies, percentages and characteristics were calculated. Subjects were divided in two groups depending on whether they had two or more symptoms daily or weekly, or less than that. Results: and conclusions Almost two out of three of the respondents had at least one voice symptom weekly. About half of the subjects had two or more symptoms weekly or more often, which is considered as a severe amount. Voice getting strained, tired and hoarse were the most common voice symptoms. The effect of the voice problem on functioning were considered mild. However, the amount and rate of symptoms had a linear effect on functioning and wellbeing. Also, the subjects who had two or more symptoms daily or weekly were more restricted on their functioning. Vocal training received by group fitness instructors was thin. It could be beneficial to add aspects of vocal ergonomics on group fitness instructors’ training and work.