Vocal Disability Index in Teachers from Ecuador

Introduction: One of the main characteristics of human beings is the voice because it is essential to be able to communicate. In the workplace we can say that it is one of the main tools that teachers have to teach their classes, but the frequent use of the voice in different tones can imply a great effort or demand, and the vocal quality can be affected by different factors environmental and personal habits. Teachers have requirements in their work activity, such as adapting to the demands of teaching, developing more dynamic classes, and in current conditions the high interactivity demanded by virtual classes generates a perception of high vocal effort. Objective: To assess the level of vocal impact on university teachers from different universities, colleges and schools in Ecuador through the self-perception of vocal disadvantage. Material and Methods: It is a descriptive and cross-sectional study, which included 106 male and female teachers. The Voice Handicap Index questionnaire was applied. This questionnaire allows evaluating the impact of vocal quality on teachers’ working lives. In addition, a survey was conducted on variables such as sex, age, average number of classes and hours taught per week, and smoking habits. Results: The average of the Voice Handicap Index of the total sample corresponded to a moderate handicap. 17% of teachers report that the clarity of their voice is unpredictable; 13.2% have smoking habits; 3.8% perceive their voice as hoarse and dry; 2.8% that other people do not understand their voice problem; 1.9% of those surveyed state that they try to change their voice to make it sound different; 1.9% feel that they must strain to speak; and 0.9% mentioned hearing their voice with difficulty. Conclusions: Teachers are one of the professional groups in which there is significant vocal involvement. The lack of vocal training that teachers have in the actions of their professional lives was evidenced.