PURPOSE: to analyze the information acquired by voice professionals in preventive speech actions and check their impact in relation to vocal health. METHODS: 100 voice professionals took part in this study, men and women, between 16 and 55-year old, including teachers, announcers, singers, actors and telemarketing operators. The studied subjects answered a questionnaire on how to take care of voice, origin of received guidance and its application, and how the interviewed subjects qualify its effectiveness. RESULTS: the most cited information, considering the received guidance, was: hydration of vocal cords by 66% (N=66) of the subjects and consumption of apple by 32% (N=32) of the subjects, however, they were not the most used by them. Voice warm up exercises were used by 12% of all those that had cited them, being mostly practiced by the singers. For 66% of the subjects, the information and guidance were received from other professionals while 34% got them from the speech therapists. And 58% (N= 58) of the people who closely followed the guidance steps affirmed having noted an improvement in their voice quality. CONCLUSION: the relevant lack of knowledge on the part of the studied voice professionals in relation to the cares with the vocal health can be attributed to the little importance given to preventive speech actions. However, the subjects that affirmed following the received guidance confirmed improvements in voice quality. We may conclude that speech therapists can be considered as guidance reference when compared with different segments of professionals.
Voice; Primary Prevention; Voice Quality; Public Health
