Describing Speech Usage in Daily Activities in Typical Adults

Area of Science:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Communication Sciences
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Speech usage encompasses the communication demands individuals face in various life roles.
• Understanding typical speech usage is crucial for identifying and managing communication disorders.
• The Levels of Speech Usage scale aims to quantify these demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• Validate the Levels of Speech Usage scale using descriptive data from a non-disordered adult population.
• Compare speech usage levels with the Koufman and Isaacson Occupational Voice Demands scale.
• Identify predictors of speech usage levels.

Main Methods:

• A national online survey design was employed.
• 276 adults aged 25+ without communication disorders completed questionnaires.
• Data included the Levels of Speech Usage scale, occupational/non-occupational activities, demographics, and occupational voice demand categorization.

Main Results:

• Employed individuals reported higher speech usage than non-employed individuals.
• Employment was identified as the primary predictor of speech usage.
• Significant unexplained variance suggests other determinants of speech usage exist.

Conclusions:

• The Levels of Speech Usage scale appears to be a valid instrument for assessing occupational and non-occupational speech demands.
• Data from typical adults provide a baseline for interpreting speech usage in disordered populations.
• Further research is needed to fully define speech usage determinants.