Vocal Health of Employees in Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education professionals have to use their voice frequently and intensively as a tool for work, which can lead to voice problems and subsequently to occupational disability. The aim of the study was to record the frequency and severity of voice complaints among employees in early childhood education and to investigate how subjectively perceived voice problems affect the performance and resilience of the voice.

The study involved 128 early childhood educators aged 41.2 ± 12.0 years from daycare centers, who self-assessed their voices as healthy, and participated voluntarily Vocal complaints were recorded using the questionnaires voice handicap index (VHI-9) and the vocal tract discomfort scale (VTDS). In addition, the dysphonia severity index (DSI) was calculated, and a vocal loading test was carried out. Voice analysis was performed using the DiVAS V2.8 Module Basis software (XION GmbH, Berlin).

A total of 61 educators reported voice problems, most of which only occurred during their employment. According to the VHI, 34 participants had a mild handicap, and three employees had a moderate handicap. In the VTDS, 32 educators reported minor sensory impairments in the vocal tract, 20 had moderate, 11 had severe impairments. Seventy-two employees had a conspicuous DSI. Fifteen early childhood educators fell below the required sound pressure level in the vocal stress test by more than 10%.

More than half of the subjectively vocally healthy early childhood educators had a conspicuous DSI. There is an urgent need to prevent occupational voice disorders. Speech and voice training should be integrated as a mandatory component of vocational training to prepare the voices of early childhood educators for a language and voice-intensive profession. This can prevent voice problems and voice disorders, retain early childhood educators in the profession, and avoid premature retirement due to voice disorders.