[Voice perception and quality of life of elder teachers and non teachers]

The aim of this article is to compare elder teachers (GP) and non-teachers' (GNP) scores from the voice related quality of life (VR-QOL) protocol and verify the relation between these scores, chronological age and voice change perception. Data from the vocal change perception was collected in 47 subjects, 23 GP and 24 GNP, over 65 years old, both sexes, and the VR-QOL protocol has been applied. There was no significant difference between the score of the two groups or between these scores and the voice change perception. There was a positive correlation (p=0.039) between chronological age and the VR-QOL physical domain scores for the GP. There was significant difference between the two groups of subjects that realized the vocal change, for the VR-QOL answers to questions 2 (p=0.02), 4 (p=0.007), 5 (p=0.012) and 9 (p=0.002). In both groups, the impact of the voice changes was higher in the VR-QOL physical than in the socio-emotional domain. The self perception of vocal aging was related to the professional or non-professional use of the voice. Teachers, apart from having this perception had more problems in the VR-QOL questions of the physical domain, related to the professional requests. Non-teachers that noticed the vocal aging had difficulties with the socio-emotional and physical aspects.