Vocal Fatigue Index in Teachers Using Mokken Analysis

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Vocal fatigue (VF) significantly impacts professional voice users, particularly teachers.
• The voice is a critical occupational tool for educators, making VF a prevalent concern.
• Understanding VF symptoms and their severity is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the utility of the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) in identifying VF symptoms and severity in teachers.
• To explore the hierarchical nature of VF symptoms experienced by teachers.
• To analyze how different levels of VF severity affect symptom presentation and management.

Main Methods:

• Mokken scaling analysis was performed on data from 695 teachers who completed the VFI.
• Analysis was conducted on the total teacher group and stratified groups (No VF, Low VF, High VF).
• The study examined the hierarchical structure of VF symptoms and their relationship to severity.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in item hierarchies were observed across VF severity groups.
• For teachers, mild VF symptoms included physical discomfort, while severe VF involved symptom improvement with rest.
• Avoidance behaviors emerged as a distinct scale for teachers with high VF.

Conclusions:

• Mokken scaling reveals the complex, heterogeneous nature of VF in teachers.
• Teachers utilize diverse behavioral strategies for managing VF, influenced by symptom severity.
• The VFI is a valuable tool for assessing VF and understanding its multifaceted presentation in this population.