Methods to study pre-school teachers' voice at work: simultaneous recordings with a voice accumulator and a DAT recorder.

Long-term recordings with reliable methods are desirable for objective documentation of voice use during natural conditions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a voice accumulator (VAC) with a digital audiotape (DAT) recorder as a reference. The VAC is based on a microprocessor that accumulates information about fundamental frequency (F0) and phonation time.

Vocal behavior and vocal loading factors for preschool teachers at work studied with binaural DAT recordings.

Preschool teachers are at risk for developing voice problems such as vocal fatigue and vocal nodules. The purpose of this report was to study preschool teachers' voice use during work. Ten healthy female preschool teachers working at daycare centers (DCC) served as subjects.