Perceptions of the Effect of Habits on Vocal Health: Comparing Healthcare Providers to Vocalists

Despite widespread industry knowledge regarding vocal health habits among singers, a paucity of research supports these beliefs, potentially undermining patient counseling. We sought to catalog attitudes of vocal healthcare providers regarding common vocal health practices to compare to vocalists.

An online survey was administered to fellowship-trained laryngologists and voice-specialized speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to assess attitudes regarding 82 factors frequently associated with vocal health. Respondents rated each item on the following scale: good in the long-term, good in the short-term, bad long-term, bad short-term, or no effect. Results were compared to previously collected data from an analogous survey completed by professional and amateur vocalists.

Twenty-four vocal healthcare providers (15 SLPs and nine laryngologists) completed the survey. Consensus among vocal healthcare providers was found on all but six items, but differences between vocalists and providers were observed on 34 items. These items included factors seen as less harmful (eg dairy, whispering) or less beneficial (eg tea, Vitamin B12, jogging on performance day) by healthcare providers than singers. Several items were viewed more cautiously by providers (eg menthol, decongestants, spicy foods, breath-holding, and whiskey shots).

A substantial disconnect between vocal healthcare providers and singers was observed regarding habits conducive to vocal health. These data have significant implications for the counseling of voice users and demonstrate the importance of further study to understand the impact of vocalist habits on vocal health.

Level 3.