Association Between Bilingualism, Vocal Effort, and Background Noise With Voice Fundamental Frequency and LTAS Among Spanish-English Bilingual Teachers.

BACKGROUND: As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the demand for bilingual teachers has grown exponentially. However, the unique combination of being a bilingual occupational voice user establishes challenges that warrant careful examination. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between bilingualism, vocal effort, and background noise with fundamental frequency and long-term spectrum average among Spanish-English bilingual teachers. METHODS: Exploratory cross-sectional correlational study with the participation of eight Spanish-English proficient bilingual teachers (native Spanish speakers) who were teaching online classes during the quarantines established to mitigate the propagation of COVID-19. Participants were asked to read two standardized texts (one in English and one in Spanish) under two background noise conditions (with and without background white noise). RESULTS: There was a significant interaction between language and vocal effort considering that the association of vocal effort with fo was different for Spanish and English. There was also a significant main effect of background noise on fo. There were significant differences in voice spectral characteristics between productions in Spanish and English and between productions with and without background noise. The alpha ratio was significantly higher in productions in English and with background noise compared with productions in Spanish without background noise. The mid to high spectral energy ratio (1-5 K/5-8 K) was significantly lower in productions in English and with higher perceived vocal effort compared with productions in Spanish and with lower scores on the Borg Scale. CONCLUSION: Our findings introduce a need perspective by emphasizing the impact of speaking a second language on the work-relatedness of voice disorders among teachers. These findings stress the necessity to factor in language and environmental conditions for the comprehensive evaluation and management of work-related voice disorders.

Work-Related Vocal Challenges of Online Teaching: A Study of Female College Professors.

BACKGROUND: College professors are at an elevated risk of developing voice disorders due to increased vocal demands associated with their working conditions, including high background noise levels, long reverberation times, prolonged voice use duration, and large class sizes. However, the impact of online classes on vocal health among college professors remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This longitudinal study aimed to characterize voice changes associated with online teaching among female Colombian college professors. METHODS: Thirteen female college professors teaching online classes completed an online survey that included questions about voice functioning, working conditions, the Spanish translation of the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI), and the Spanish translation of the Voice-Related Quality of Life. Instrumental measurements were also performed, including environmental background noise levels, hearing screening, and voice recordings before and after a synchronous online class. RESULTS: This study found a decreased fundamental frequency in connected speech (reading) associated with the number of students per class, the number of classes per week, and background noise levels measured with a sound level meter. L1L0 was statistically smaller among experienced teachers with higher background noise levels compared with less-experienced colleagues in quieter classes. 1558kHz was statistically associated with the average number of students, whereas HNR was slightly higher for professors with more students and more classes per week. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that online teaching has important implications for voice production among participating teachers. This study highlights the importance of considering working conditions during online classes when designing workplace prevention programs for college professors.

Effect of a Workplace Vocal Health Promotion Program and Working Conditions on Voice Functioning of College Professors.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of a Workplace Vocal Health Promotion Program (WVHPP) and working conditions on voice functioning of college professors. STUDY DESIGN: This is a pre-post intervention study. METHODS: College professors were randomly assigned in a control group or an intervention group. Participants filled out a questionnaire and recorded a voice sample at baseline and at the end of the follow-up. This program contains four sessions (2 face-to-face and 2 virtual sessions; one per week) focused on voice hygiene, vocal training, and strategies to modify teaching-learning process. RESULTS: The Intervention group (n = 15) showed increased scores in V-RQOL in comparison with the control group (n = 14), but the effect was not statistically significant. After the program, shimmer decreased (P = 0.05), whereas MPT and HNR increased (P = 0.02 and 0.04 respectively) among professors in the intervention group after the implementation of the WVHPP. Concerning working conditions, number of students per class was statistically associated with SPL. MPT was statistically associated with age and good acoustics inside the classroom. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that implementation of a WVHPP, as well as working conditions, influence voice functioning measured by means of instrumental voice measures and voice-related quality of life. Therefore, workplace promotion programs may be good approaches to decrease the high prevalence of voice disorders among professors.

Effect of sleep quality and duration on Jitter, Shimmer, and Harmonics-to-noise ratio among colombian university professors / Efecto de la calidad y duración del sueño sobre el Jitter, Shimmer y la relación Armónicos-Ruido en profesores universitarios colombianos

Professorswho sleep 6 or fewer hours are more likely to report voice symptoms. However, only three studies have been published on this topic, basingtheir conclusions on self-reported surveysand displayingan overall weak methodological quality, which hindersthe generalization of these results. This exploratory, correlational, and longitudinal study aimed to determine the association between sleep quality and duration andthree acoustic parameters linkedto voiceharmonicity and quality (jitter, shimmer, and Harmonics-to-Noise Ratio [HNR]) among 24 Colombian universityprofessors. Generalized linear models with gamma distribution were used to analyzethis association. Our results indicate that the professors who reported good sleep quality had significantly lower HNR values compared with thosewho had alow sleep quality. Additionally, increased jitter (B= 0.10)and shimmer (B= 0.10), and decreased HNR (B= -0.05) values were found when the duration of sleep increased. In contrast, participantswith good self-perceived sleep quality and a shorter sleep durationpresented lower voice harmonicity compared to those with bad sleep quality and shorter sleep duration, which may be associated with the physiological and emotional effects of sleep on voice production. Considering the multifactorial nature of voice production and the exploratory nature of the present study, it is important to note that a statistically significant correlationbetween sleep quality and duration andvoice harmonicity does not necessarily imply that sleep directly causes voice disorders, but rather suggests that sleep is a variable tobe considered when analyzing and treating individuals with voice issues. These findings provide insight into the complex interplay of variablesthat may contribute to voice disorders andhighlight the importance of considering sleep as a potential contributing factorin the assessment and management of individuals with voice issues.

Los profesores que duermen 6 horas o menos tienen más probabilidades de reportar síntomas de voz. Sin embargo, solo se han publicado tres estudios sobre este tema, los cuales basan sus conclusiones solo en auto reportes, lo que dificulta la generalización de esta relación. Este estudio exploratorio, correlacional y longitudinal tuvo como objetivo determinar la asociación entre la calidad y la duración del sueño con tres parámetros acústicos relacionados con la armonía y la calidad de la voz (jitter, shimmer y relación armónicos-ruido (HNR) en 24 profesores universitarios colombianos. Se utilizaron modelos lineales generalizados con distribución gamma para determinar la asociación de estas variables con los parámetros acústicos de la voz. Nuestros resultados indican que los profesores con buena calidad de sueño tenían valores de HNR significativamente más bajos en comparación con aquellos con menor calidad del sueño. Específicamente, hubo un aumento del jitter (B= 0,10), shimmer (B= 0,10) y disminución del HNR (B= -0,05) al incrementar la duración del sueño. Por su parte, los profesores con una buena calidad del sueño y con una corta duración de este (medida a través de auto-reporte) tenían menos armonía vocal que aquellos con una mala calidad y una duración del sueño corta, lo que puede estar asociado con los efectos fisiológicosy emocionales del sueño en la producción vocal. Teniendo en cuenta la naturaleza multifactorial de la producción de voz y la naturaleza exploratoria del presente estudio, es importante destacar que una asociación estadísticamente significativa entre la calidad y duración del sueño con la armonía vocal no implica necesariamente que la mala calidad o corta duración del sueño causen directamente trastornos de voz. Más bien, sugiere que el sueño es una variable que debe considerarse al analizar y tratar a personas con problemas de voz. Estos resultados proporcionan información sobre la compleja interacción de factores que pueden contribuir a los trastornos de voz y resaltan la importancia de considerar el sueño como un factor potencial que contribuye en la evaluación y tratamiento de las personas con dichos trastornos.

Fonoaudiología en sala de urgencias Perspectivades de una revisión documental / Speech pathology in emergency rooms Perspective from a documentary review

Introducción. Las salas de urgencias son espacios con protocolos coordinados y actuaciones diagnósticas y terapéuticas secuenciales. Los profesionales de rehabilitación en urgencias aportan a la toma de decisiones sobre conductas de hospitalización o egreso, planes caseros, ayudas diagnósticas y remisión a especialistas. El objetivo de esta revisión documental narrativa fue explorar evidencia internacional, sobre la presencia del fonoaudiólogo en este contexto. Materiales y métodos. Se revisaron documentos de las bases de datos Ebsco, PubMed, Scielo, Elsevier y Web of Science, entre enero de 2015 hasta septiembre de 2020, con términos de búsqueda: speech language pathology, speech therapy, emergency room en español e inglés. Resultados. Los documentos seleccionados fueron 51 con criterios de inclusión, debían dar cuenta sobre procesos de rehabilitación en salas de urgencias, que incluyeran acciones desde fonoaudiología. La evidencia muestra la incursión del trabajo fonoaudiológico en un contexto no tradicional, motivado por las necesidades en la toma de decisiones clínicas en diálogo interdisciplinar, principalmente en condiciones de disfagia y alteraciones deglutorias. Discusión. Las acciones profesionales en este contexto incluyen la promoción de la salud para prevenir ingresos recurrentes a sala de urgencias y atención en condiciones críticas, agudas y al final de la vida. Conclusiones. Este contexto representa retos profesionales hacia habilidades de juicio clínico, argumentación científico profesional, uso de instrumentos de detección y trabajo interdisciplinar. que hacen la diferencia entre aspectos como: el egreso y la hospitalización, tratamiento o procedimiento y en algunos casos, entre la vida y la muerte.

Introduction. The emergency rooms are spaces with coordinated protocols and sequential diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Emergency rehabilitation professionals contribute to decision-making on inpatient or outpatient behavior, home planning, diagnostic assistance, and referral to specialists. The objective of this narrative documentary review was to explore international evidence, about the presence of the speech language pathologist in this context. Materials and methods. Ebsco, PubMed, Scielo, Elsevier and Web of Science databases were reviewed between January 2015 and September 2020, with search terms: speech language pathology, speech therapy, emergency room in English and Spanish. Results. The selected documents were 51 with inclusion criteria, had to report on rehabilitation processes in emergency rooms, including actions from speech pathologist. The evidence shows the incursion of the Speech Pathologist work in a non-traditional context, motivated by the needs in the making of clinical decisions in interdisciplinary dialogue, mainly in dysphagia conditions and swallowing disorders. Discussion. Professional actions in this context include health promotion to prevent recurrent incomes to the emergency room and care in critical, acute, and end-of-life conditions. Conclusion. This context represents professional challenges towards clinical judgment skills, professional scientific argumentation, use of detection instruments and interdisciplinary work. which make the difference between aspects such as: discharge and hospitalization, treatment, or procedure and in some cases, between life and death.