Relationship Between Laryngeal Signs and Symptoms, Acoustic Measures, and Quality of Life in Primary and Kindergarten School Teachers

Relationship Between Laryngeal Signs and Symptoms, Acoustic Measures, and Quality of Life in Finnish Primary and Kindergarten School Teachers: This study investigated the relationship between the acoustic measure smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS), teacher's quality of life as measured by the voice activity and participation profile (VAPP), laryngeal signs and symptoms, voice related health problems and laryngoscopic findings in Finnish teachers. The relationship between CPPS and sound pressure level (SPL) was also assessed.




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Relationship Between Laryngeal Signs and Symptoms, Acoustic Measures, and Quality of Life in Finnish Primary and Kindergarten School Teachers

Caitriona Munier'Correspondence information about the author Caitriona MunierEmail the author Caitriona Munier, Meike Brockmann-Bauser, Anne-Maria Laukkanen, Irma Ilomäki, Elina Kankare, Ahmed Geneid

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2018.12.006

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Publication History

Published online: January 25, 2019

Accepted: December 10, 2018

Abstract

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Summary

Objective

This study investigated the relationship between the acoustic measure smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS), teacher's quality of life as measured by the voice activity and participation profile (VAPP), laryngeal signs and symptoms, voice related health problems and laryngoscopic findings in Finnish teachers. The relationship between CPPS and sound pressure level (SPL) was also assessed.



Methods

Vowel and text samples from 183 healthy Finnish teachers (99 kindergarten teachers [KT] and 84 primary school teachers [PST]) were analyzed for CPPS. Text reading was recorded in conversational loudness by PST, and KT were recorded wearing headphones, while listening to a masking noise of children talking to simulate their classroom voice and environment. CPPS values were correlated with the VAPP, self-reported laryngeal signs and symptoms, voice related health variables, and laryngoscopic findings.



Results

There was a significant difference between the two groups for CPPS text, PST showed significantly lower CPPS values (10.44) than KT (11.52). There was no difference between the two groups for CPPS vowel phonation. There was a significant correlation between SPL text and CPPS text for KT (P < 0.009, r = 0.429) but not for PST (P < 0.102862, r = 0.165). There was a significant correlation between SPL vowel and CPPS vowel for both PST (P < 0.000006, r = 0.471) and KT (P < 0.000006, r = 0.452). CPPS did not correlate with the VAPP, laryngeal signs and symptoms, health variables or laryngeal findings.



Factorial analysis of variance resulted in a significant relationship between VAPP, laryngeal signs and symptoms, and teacher type. Teacher type and symptoms had a significant effect on VAPP scores.



Conclusions

In the present work CPPS does not correlate with vocal health indicators of functionally healthy teachers. CPPS was significantly influenced by differences in speaking voice SPL, emphasizing the impact of recording conditions and technique. There was a significant relationship between laryngeal signs and symptoms, teacher type and the VAPP. Laryngeal signs and symptoms and teacher type are important variables and should be included in the clinical evaluation of occupational voice users, and voice problems.



Key Words:

Smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS), Voice Activity and Participation Profile (VAPP), Quality of life, occupational voice users, voice problems, teacher type, laryngeal signs and symptoms, voice related health problems, laryngoscopic findings, voice and emotion, working conditions