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The Voice Behind the Mic: Evaluation of Vocal Health Status in the Voice Acting Community
Megan E Urbano1, Lauren Timmons Sund2, Cameron Gibson3
1University of South Florida - Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, USF Health, Tampa, Florida.
Introduction:
Voice actors are hypothesized to be at high risk of developing voice disorders, considering their increased vocal demands. However, they are a group of professional voice users for whom there is a paucity of research in the area of voice-specialized speech pathology and laryngology. The primary purpose of the current study is to determine the prevalence of self-reported voice disorders in a group of voice actors. The secondary purpose is to explore what number of those with past or current voice disorders sought laryngology care for their symptoms.
Methods:
Prospective exploratory survey study. Participants included adult voice actors who anonymously completed a survey that included questions related to past voice problems (PVPs) and/or current voice problems (CVPs) and laryngeal health literacy. Two voice-related quality of life questionnaires were additionally completed by participants: the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) to determine how voice quality impacts daily life and the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) to explore symptoms of fatigue, strain, and/or pain with voice use. Descriptive statistics were used for this study.
Results:
A total of 102 participants completed the survey. 80% (n = 82) reported past voice problems (PVP) and 22% (n = 23) reported a current voice problem (CVP). Among them, only 17.1% (n = 14) of PVP and 13% (n = 3) of CVP participants saw a laryngologist.
Conclusions:
Despite the AAO recommendation for completing laryngoscopy within 4 weeks of the onset of a voice problem or sooner for performers, this study reveals that the pursuit of voice healthcare is low among voice actors. Further research is needed to determine past voice problems or future voice problems in this population, as well as any barriers to seeking or receiving care. Targeted outreach and education on vocal health could be an avenue to pursue with this population to reduce the incidence and impact of voice disorders.
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