Vocal Effort in Clinical Settings of North and South American Countries: Characterization From Argentinian, Chilean, Colombian, and the United States Clinician's Reports.

Background: In voice clinics, vocal effort is a prevalent complaint, with around 25% of clinicians citing it as the primary issue.

Aim: This study had two objectives. First, it sought to establish the prevalence of vocal effort, both as the primary and the only symptom, among patients receiving treatment from clinicians specializing in voice disorders in various countries across South and North America.

Behind the Headset: Predictive Accuracy of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Voice Symptoms in Call Centers.

Objective: This study examines factors predicting self-reported voice symptoms in call center workers.

Methods: Multivariate analysis and predictive modeling assess personal, work-related, acoustic, and behavioral factors. Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves are employed.

Prospective Teacher's Voice Questionnaire (PTVQ): Development of a Questionnaire to Assess Training-Related Voice Symptoms Among Prospective Teachers.

Aim: To develop and validate a self-administered population-specific survey, available in Spanish, Portuguese, and English, which investigates the prevalence of voice symptoms and perceptions of risk factors associated with training among prospective teachers.

Methods: The present study had three stages: the first stage included a literature review and content validation by experts that supported the survey development. From this phase, we defined five aspects of the Prospective Teacher's Voice Questionnaire (PTVQ): (1) target population, (2) research objectives, (3) questions to be included, (4) scales for the answers, and (5) relevance, comprehensiveness, clarityclarity, and understandability of the questions.

Persuasion Through Focus Groups: Helping Teachers Maintain Healthy Voices.

This study was designed to determine whether participation in a single, 1-hour focus group would spur a change in health-related behavior. All the respondents were teachers who had participated in a focus group designed to learn about teachers' understanding that voice is a working tool. In the discussions, health-related behaviors were discussed as ways to deal with possible vocal strain or injury.

Screening of Voice Pathologies: Identifying the Predictive Value of Voice Acoustic Parameters for Common Voice Pathologies.

Background: Voice acoustic analysis is important for objectively assessing voice production and diagnosing voice disorders.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the sensitivity of various voice acoustic parameters in differentiating common voice pathology types.

Methods: Data from the publicly available Perceptual Voice Qualities Database were analyzed; the database includes recordings of participants with and without voice disorders.

Clinical Utility and Validation of the Acoustic Voice Quality and Acoustic Breathiness Indexes for Voice Disorder Assessment in English Speakers.

Background: While several acoustic voice metrics are available for clinical voice assessment, there remains a significant need for reliable and ecologically valid tools. The Acoustic Voice Quality Index version 03.01 (AVQI-3) and Acoustic Breathiness Index (ABI) hold potential due to their comprehensive assessment approach, incorporating diverse voice aspects.

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.

Effect of an online Workplace Vocal Health and Low Stress Levels Promotion Program implemented in a Colombian university during COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose: To determine the effect of an online Workplace Vocal Health and Low Stress Levels (WVHLS) Promotion Program implemented in a Colombian university during COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This research was a quasi-experimental study. Twenty-nine professors participated in this study within two groups: (1) intervention group (n=17) or (2) non-intervention group (n=12).

Mapping the Landscape of Voice Complaints among Teachers: A Bibliometric Investigation.

Purpose: With the significant and growing interest in voice disorders among teachers over the last several decades, there is value in having a comprehensive overview of the current state of the field and its related research productivity. This study aims to provide an updated and comprehensive mapping of the intellectual structure and research evolution in the field of occupational voice complaints among teachers.

Methods: A systematic review of scientific articles on occupational voice complaints among teachers published in the last two decades was conducted using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses statements.

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.

Systematic Review of Literature on Vocal Demand Response: Understanding Physiology, Measurements, and Associated Factors.

Purpose: Considering the conceptual migration from vocal load and vocal loading to vocal demand and vocal demand response, this review of literature aimed to identify physiological explanations, reported measurements, and associated factors (vocal demands) reported in the literature when considering the phonatory response to a vocal demand.

Methods: A systematic review of literature, following the PRISMA Statement, was conducted using Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. Data were analyzed and presented in two parts.

The Effects of Room Acoustics on Self-reported Vocal Fatigue: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: The main objective of the present systematic review is to quantify the relationship between the room acoustics and self-reported vocal fatigue.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search and systematic review were conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Science Direct, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Scopus databases. Two inclusion criteria were defined: (1) description of a relationship between the room acoustics and self-reported vocal fatigue; and (2) reporting of raw data and/or a statistic of the association between the variables.

Systematic Review of Literature on Speech Intelligibility and Classroom Acoustics in Elementary Schools.

Purpose: Good verbal signals and low background noise are key factors for all children to maximize understanding of what is being taught. Classroom shape, surroundings, and even furnishings change how the environment "sounds" and how speech is "heard" in the classroom. Classroom acoustics is perhaps one of the most important, but often least considered, factors when designing a classroom.

Systematic Review of Literature on Prevalence of Vocal Fatigue Among Teachers.

Background: Previous results suggest that teaching is a high-risk profession for developing voice disorders.

Objective: This study aims to determine the prevalence of vocal fatigue among teachers and its relationship with voice acoustic parameters reported in previous studies.

Method: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement Guidelines, we performed a systematic literature review including five databases: Scopus, Scielo, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Web of Science.

Relationship Between Room Acoustics With Voice Symptoms and Voice-Related Quality of Life Among Colombian School and College Teachers During Online Classes in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic.

Aim: To determine the relationship between working conditions, especially room acoustics, with voice symptoms and voice-related quality of life among Colombian school and college teachers during online classes in times of COVID-19 pandemic.

Method: Exploratory cross-sectional study. Participants were thirty-two primary, secondary and university Colombian teachers, who were invited to fill in an online survey about working conditions and voice symptoms during online classes in times of COVID-19 pandemic.

Acoustic Effects of Vocal Warm-Up: A 7-Week Longitudinal Case Study.

Objective: A case study was used to determine which acoustic parameters would be sensitive to a SOVT-based vocal warm-up over the duration of a standard voice treatment.

Methods: The longitudinal research design consisted of repeated voice measures during 7 weeks from a single subject, a 48-year-old male occupational voice user with a history of voice disorders. A steady phonation and running speech tasks were performed before and after an intensive 1-minute water-resistance voice exercise (WRT).

Panorama de tres países latinoamericanos en problemas de voz relacionados con condiciones de trabajo.

Purpose: To identify the normative framework on work-related voice disorders in three Latin American countries: Brazil, Chile and Colombia.

Methods: Documentary research focused on regulations and statistics occupational voice in the three included countries.

Results: In the three countries included there are normatives that regulate the relationship between work and vocal health.

Bibliometric Analysis and Review of Literature on the Relationship Between Voice Production and Bilingualism.

Background: The spoken language may influence the way we produce our voice. Therefore, speak more than one language could affect voice production. However, there is limited evidence on the relationship between voice production and bilingualism.

The Effect of Bilingualism on Production and Perception of Vocal Fry.

Aims: (1) Determine the difference in vocal fry phonation in English and Spanish productions among bilingual young adults, (2) Characterize the effect of spoken language and native language on vocal fry production among English-Spanish bilingual speakers, (3) Identify the effect of first and second language knowledge of the listener in the voice perceptual assessment, and (4) Define the effect of the environment of the assessment (in situ vs. online), in the voice perceptual assessment.

Method: Exploratory cross-sectional study of 34 bilingual (Spanish-English) speakers and six inexperienced listeners.

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.

Bilingualism and Voice Production. Differences Between Bilingual Latin-American Spanish- English Female Speakers and Monolingual Spanish Female Speakers During Spanish Productions.

Background: Speaking a second language influences jitter and shimmer when comparing monolingual English speakers with bilingual English-Spanish speakers. However, there is little information about differences on voice acoustic parameters when comparing monolingual Spanish speakers with bilingual Spanish-English speakers during their productions in Spanish.

Aim: Determine differences in five voice acoustic parameters commonly used in voice assessments (fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, Harmonics-to-Noise Ratio and Cepstral Peak Prominence Smoothed) which may be influenced by bilingualism.

Gender differences in vocal doses among occupational voice users: a systematic review of literature and meta-analysis.

Background: Occupational voice users such as teachers, singers, and broadcasters have high vocal demands increasing the risk for developing voice disorders. Among occupational voice users, the literature has report gender differences in vocal doses as part of vocal demands. However, these differences have not been quantified.

Voice Therapy in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Guidelines for Clinical Practice.

Introduction: Since the beginning of the new pandemic, COVID-19 health services have had to face a new scenario. Voice therapy faces a double challenge, interventions using telepractice, and delivering rehabilitation services to a growing population of patients at risk of functional impairment related to the COVID-19 disease. Moreover, as COVID-19 is transmitted through droplets, it is critical to understand how to mitigate these risks during assessment and treatment.