TY - JOUR
T1 - The Influence of Occupation on Self-perceived Vocal Problems in Patients With Voice Complaints
AU - Ebersole, Barbara
AU - Soni, Resha S.
AU - Moran, Kathleen
AU - Lango, Miriam
AU - Devarajan, Karthik
AU - Jamal, Nausheen
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Voice Foundation
PY - 2018/11
Y1 - 2018/11
N2 - Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationships among patient occupation, laryngeal diagnosis, perceptual dysphonia severity, and patient-perceived voice impairment. Methods: Adult patients presenting with a chief complaint of dysphonia over a 20-month period at a tertiary care, interdisciplinary voice center were included in this retrospective cohort study. Patients were categorized by profession: vocal performers, high occupational voice demand, low or no occupational voice demand, and retired. Associations between professional voice demand and clinician rating of dysphonia severity using the “Grade” score from the Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain scale and patient ratings of voice impairment using the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) were tested using standard descriptive statistical methods. Results: One hundred and sixty-three patients with a presenting complaint of dysphonia were evaluated. Significant associations were found on univariate and multivariable analysis among a patient's occupational voice demand, Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain grade, and VHI-10 score (P = 0.007 and P < 0.001, respectively). Patients subject to greater vocal demands as a result of their occupation had a greater perception of impairment, regardless of acoustic-perceptual severity, when compared with those with low or no occupational voice demand. Although voice diagnosis was significantly associated with VHI-10 score on univariate analysis, it failed to reach significance on multivariable analysis. Demographic measures such as gender and age also did not correlate with perceived vocal impairment. Conclusion: Patient-perception of voice impairment is influenced by occupational demand, independent of acoustic-perceptual dysphonia. Performers and people with high occupational voice needs demonstrate a unique sensitivity to subtle voice changes.
AB - Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationships among patient occupation, laryngeal diagnosis, perceptual dysphonia severity, and patient-perceived voice impairment. Methods: Adult patients presenting with a chief complaint of dysphonia over a 20-month period at a tertiary care, interdisciplinary voice center were included in this retrospective cohort study. Patients were categorized by profession: vocal performers, high occupational voice demand, low or no occupational voice demand, and retired. Associations between professional voice demand and clinician rating of dysphonia severity using the “Grade” score from the Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain scale and patient ratings of voice impairment using the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) were tested using standard descriptive statistical methods. Results: One hundred and sixty-three patients with a presenting complaint of dysphonia were evaluated. Significant associations were found on univariate and multivariable analysis among a patient's occupational voice demand, Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain grade, and VHI-10 score (P = 0.007 and P < 0.001, respectively). Patients subject to greater vocal demands as a result of their occupation had a greater perception of impairment, regardless of acoustic-perceptual severity, when compared with those with low or no occupational voice demand. Although voice diagnosis was significantly associated with VHI-10 score on univariate analysis, it failed to reach significance on multivariable analysis. Demographic measures such as gender and age also did not correlate with perceived vocal impairment. Conclusion: Patient-perception of voice impairment is influenced by occupational demand, independent of acoustic-perceptual dysphonia. Performers and people with high occupational voice needs demonstrate a unique sensitivity to subtle voice changes.
KW - Dysphonia
KW - Impairment
KW - Occupational voice
KW - Vocation
KW - Voice Handicap Index
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85029854642&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jvoice.2017.08.028
DO - 10.1016/j.jvoice.2017.08.028
M3 - Article
C2 - 28967587
AN - SCOPUS:85029854642
SN - 0892-1997
VL - 32
SP - 673
EP - 680
JO - Journal of Voice
JF - Journal of Voice
IS - 6
ER -