Effect of voice training program on acoustics, vocal use and perceptual voice parameters in Catalan teachers

Objectives: To assess the effect of EVES (Education for a Healthy and Efficient Voice), a voice training program aimed at promoting the use of an efficient and healthy voice in teachers. Sample and Method: Twenty-two teachers in the city of Granollers (Catalonia, Spain) were included in this research. The effect of the EVES program was evaluated focusing on the analysis of physiologic parameters on the one side (stroboscopy analysis), and on perceptual parameters on the other (Q-EVES questionnaire, Voice Handicap Index-10 [VHI-10], and GRBAS [Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, Strain Scale]). Results: The teachers incorporated the vocal strategies in their professional life and reported that the perception of difficulty in using their voice decreased. We observed a significant improvement in VHI-10 markers, in voice management abilities in the classroom, in perceptive and subjective voice parameters, and in some functional lesions. Conclusions: The results suggest that the educational intervention model may have a positive effect on teachers’ vocal care.