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Teachers´ voices and the school environment

Acoustics and noise, indoor air quality, postures, working culture and stress

Leena Rantala, PhD. Speech therapist University of Tampere, Finland.

Reykjavik, 2012

The risks for voice disorders are partly (65 %) related to the work environment Symptoms of environmental origin: voice gets strained or tires (Simberg et al. -09, -12)

Reykjavik, 2012

Voice symptoms in teachers

Reykjavik, 2012

Angelillo et al. -09

Study: connections between voice ergonomic risk factors and voice

Voice ergonomic assessment

Acoustics and noise, indoor air quality, postures, working culture and stress

Voice symptoms and voice production Respiratory tract diseases

Reykjavik, 2012

Acoustics and noise

• Effects of poor acoustics

– Noise is continuous

• Increases psychological stress
• Decrease concentration

– Transmission of speech is poor

• Decrease concentration > Increases psychological stress

– Impairs reading comprehension and long-term memory

• Background noise

– Loud in schools and nursery schools – raises voice loudness (Lombard effect)

Reykjavik, 2012

Study: in poor acoustics and noise

• More voice symptoms
• Activity and background noise

– Voice quality more strained before a working day but changes less during work

• Background noise

– Louder voice (sound pressure level) before and after a working day), but changes less – Lower voice pitch in males (before and after)

Reykjavik, 2012

Indoor air quality

• Poor in many European school

– Ventilation does not work – Mold 14 – 39 % in schools

• Organic dust, impurities, toxic substances

– Allergic /inflammatory reaction in laryngeal mucous >> risk for voice disorders – Upper respiratory symptoms

Reykjavik, 2012

Humidity and temperature

• In low relative humidity

– Cover of vocal folds stiffens – Viscosity increases – More air pressure needed to start phonation

Reykjavik, 2012

Study: in poorer indoor air

• More voice symptoms
• More often laryngitis
• Higher sound pressure level (i.e. loudness)

before and after a working day

• Male teachers’ voices

– change towards more strained voice quality (according to spectrum analysis)

Reykjavik, 2012

Working postures

• Patients with voice disorders

– Larynx is in high position – Hypertension in neck muscles (stylohyoid & sternocleidomastoid) – Backward weight bearing of body – Forward position of head

Reykjavik, 2012

Study: working postures

• More voice symptoms
• Louder voice (sound pressure level) before

and after a working day

• Voice pitch (fundamental frequency )

– changes more – higher after a working day

Reykjavik, 2012

Working culture and stress

Reykjavik, 2012

• Long talking times

– 20–40 % of working hours vs. non teachers under 10 % – Longer during work than in off-work hours.

• Loud voice
• Long talking distances
• Very little possibilities to have a voice rest

Working culture and stress

• Many stressful factors

– Discipline – Time pressure – Work load

• Emotions strongly connected to voice production

Reykjavik, 2012

Study: Working culture

• More voice symptoms
• Louder voice (sound

pressure level) before and after a working day

– Of the risk fields, the connection was strongest between working culture and voice loudness

Stress

• More voice symptoms

– One of the strongest connections

Reykjavik, 2012

Conclusions

• Voice ergonomic condition in the

classroom is connected to voice health

–Voice symptoms –Voice production

• Poor air quality increases
• ccurrence of laryngitis

Reykjavik, 2012

Practical implications

–Voice ergonomic assessment ought to be performed in every school –Information on shortcomings in voice ergonomics must be disseminated to all those who are responsible in classroom design like educational authorities, architects and builders

Reykjavik, 2012

Reykjavik, 2012

Thank you for your attention