The concept of healthy voice and quality of life and voice of the participants of a voice campaign

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the conceptions of healthy voice and the relationship between voice and quality of life of participants of the Voice Campaigns, conducted in 2009 and 2010. Materials and methods: qualitative study in which a questionnaire was applied to participants of actions developed in Voice campaigns in the respective years, in Brasilia. It was used the technique of content analysis to analyze the data. Results: 15 (75%) of the participants were of the female gender and five (25%) males, aged 21 to 53 years. Regarding the first question: - “To you, what is a healthy voice?” it was observed that to prevent abusive vocal habits and a voice without signs of alterations were synonymous of healthy voice. Second question: - “How do you think your voice influences on your quality of life? It was observed the intrinsic relationship of voice with the human communication and that voice disorders affect the psychological, social and work aspects of the individual, reflecting on the quality of life. Conclusion: Regarding the conception of healthy voice, the subjects believe that a healthy voice occurs in the absence of vocal disease and that voice is a biological phenomenon. This evidences a conception that does not contribute to the dialogue with the proposal to Health Promotion. Still, in the relationship between voice and quality of life, we observed the existence of different dimensions involved in human communication, which demonstrates the voice not only as a biological phenomenon, but as a complex phenomenon with several implications on the lives of individuals and collectivities.