Voice disadvantage in popular singers

Observational cross-sectional study with convenience sample composed of popular singers. The data collection was performed through a questionnaire with more than 21 questions, in addition to the protocol Modern Singing Handicap Index - MSHI. The Mann Whitney and Kruskal Wallis test were used.

Results

The sample consisted of 57 singers, predominantly male, and the majority with age between 30 and 39 years. There was statistical significance between the total MSHI score and the variables: presence of more than one singer interposing the songs in the presentations, less time of profession, not realization of vocal quenching and self-perception of spoken voice as reasonable.

Conclusion

Greater vocal disadvantage was verified in younger singers in the profession, who don´t intercalate the songs with another singer, don´t slow down the voice and perceive the spoken voice as reasonable.

Keywords:
Voice; Singing; Quality of life; Occupational health; Speech therapy

Variable	Average	Standard devation	Median	Maximum
Disability	6.1	6.1	4	30
Disadvantage	3.1	4.5	2	21
Defect	7.4	6.6	6	30
Total Score	16.6	15.4	13	69

Variables		n	%	Average	Standard devation	Median	P Value
Gender	Male	35	61.4	17.7	15.9	13	0.538
	Female	22	38.6	14.9	14.9	13
Age	19 to 29	22	38.6	19.2	17.6	15	0.477
	30 to 39	23	40.3	15.4	13.4	13
	40 to 49	12	21.1	14.2	15.6	9.5
Singing as the main paid activity	No	25	43.9	16.5	14.8	13	0.803
	Yes	32	56.1	16.7	16.1	13.5
Other vocal activity	No	27	47.4	14.8	13.8	11	0.565
	Yes	30	52.6	18.2	16.9	15
Career time (in years)	0 to 10	23	40.4	20.9	14.6	19	0.014^* * Kruskal Wallis test significant in 5%;
	11 to 20	28	49.1	14.7	15.5	11.5
	21 to 30	6	10.5	9	16.3	2.5
Rehearsal Hours (in hours)	0 to 2	27	47.4	13.1	11.4	10	0.403
	3 to 5	18	31.6	19.9	19.6	14.5
	6 to 25	12	21.0	19.4	16	15
Nubers of presentation (less 30 days)	1 to 3	26	45.6	17	18	12	0.864
	4 to 7	17	29.8	15.4	13.2	11
	8 to 25	14	24.6	17.2	13.7	17.5
Rotation with another singer	Yes	36	63.2	13.3	14.1	10	0.013^ Mann Whitney test significant in 5%
	No	21	36.8	22.2	16.4	20
Own equipment	Never	10	17.6	10.8	9.2	9	0.328
	Yes, rarely	8	14.0	12	10.4	13
	Yes, sometimes	17	29.8	16.8	15.6	12
	Yes, often	22	38.6	20.8	18.3	16.5
Speech therapy follow-up for singing voice	No	40	70.2	16.6	15.7	11.5	0.619
	Yes	17	29.8	16.6	15.4	15

Current treatment for vocal disorder	No	55	96.5	15.7	14	12	0.193
	Yes	2	3.5	42	38.2	42
Vocal warming	Never	4	7.0	8.5	9.9	6.5	0.572
	Yes, rarely	6	10.5	19	25	12.5
	Yes, sometimes	22	38.6	18.4	14.6	14
	Yes, often	25	43.9	15.7	14.5	15
Vocal cool-down	Never	24	42.1	18.4	19.1	14	0.037*
	Yes, rarely	22	38.6	18.9	13	16
	Yes, sometimes	7	12.3	4.6	4.5	3
	Yes, often	4	7.0	14.3	5	13

Variables		n	%	Average	Standard devation	Median	P value
Spoken voice perception	Excelent	14	24.5	8.6	12.1	4	0.009^* * Kruskal Wallis test significant in 5%
	Pretty good	18	31.6	15	10.7	14
	Good	22	38.6	18.6	12.2	16.5
	Moderate	3	5.3	48.7	33.5	67
Water intake during presentations	No	5	8.8	13	3	13	0.933
	Yes	52	91.2	16.9	16.1	13.5
Amount of water (in liters) per day	> 3	6	10.5	15.8	16.4	10.5	0.394
	From 2 to 3	19	33.3	14.1	14.4	11
	< 2	30	52.6	18.9	16.3	15
	Never	2	3.6	8	11.3	8
Alcohol intake	Never	32	56.2	16.2	15.7	12	0.336
	Yes, rarely	7	12.3	11.4	15.2	4
	Yes, sometimes	10	17.5	19.3	19	18.5
	Yes, often	8	14.0	19.3	10.4	17.5
Physical activity (per week)	≥ 3	21	36.8	17.6	19.2	13	0.87
	1 a 2	13	22.8	17.4	14.2	12
	None	23	40.4	15.3	12.6	15
Upper airway infection	Never	13	22.8	12.8	14.7	6	0.226
	Yes, rarely	25	43.8	15.3	14	12
	Yes, sometimes	16	28.1	19.6	18.3	17
	Yes, Often	3	5.3	27.3	13.7	25
Gastroesophageal reflux	No	42	73.7	15.9	15.8	11.5	0.404
	Yes	15	26.3	18.6	14.8	15
Symptoms of heartburn	Never	45	78.9	15.2	15	12	0.304
	Yes, rarely	7	12.3	19.3	17.5	13
	Yes, sometimes	4	7.0	27	18.5	29
	Yes, often	1	1.8	20	.	20

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[1] Conflict of interests: No.