Signs and symptoms of autonomic dysfunction in teachers and their relation to voice complaints and occupational variables

Abstract

Objective: describe the occurrence, correlate and associate the signs and symptoms of autonomic dysfunction related to voice with the occupational characteristics, vocal complaints, sex and age of a group of teachers. Material and Method: 114 individuals, aged between 20 and 66 years, mean 37,76 years, with 102 women and 12 men. The participants answered the Questionnaire of Autonomic Dysfunction (QAD), and also collected identification data, occupational and vocal complaints. Data were analyzed statistically using the nonparametric ANOVA and Pearson correlation, with an interval of 5% significance. Results: teachers had average duration of use of the professional voice of 12,7 years, working on average 6,96 hours daily. There was an average of 16,89 with symptoms directly related to the voice. There was no correlation of the signs and symptoms of autonomic dysfunction with age, time of practice and daily use of voice or association with the schools in which teachers worked. There was an association between the mean domain scores of signs and symptoms of autonomic dysfunction with the female and the presence of vocal. Conclusion: in the group of teachers studied, the average occurrence of symptoms unrelated to the voice was 24,72; symptom reporting directly to the voice was 16,89 and not relevant questions was 5,32. Women and individuals with vocal complaints showed more signs and symptoms of autonomic dysfunction.