A study of VHI scores and acoustic features in street vendors as occupational voice users

05.Dec.2017

Yaser S. Natour, Wesam B. Darawsheh, Sara Bashiti, Majd Wari, Juhayna Taha, Thair Odeh,2018, A study of VHI scores and acoustic features in street vendors as occupational voice users,
Journal of Communication Disorders, 71, 11-21​

Abstract

Purpose

to investigate acoustic features of phonation and perception of voice handicap in street vendors.

Methods

Eighty-eight participants (44 street vendors, 44 controls) were recruited. The mean age of the group was 38.9 ± 16.0 years (range: 20–78 years). Scores of the Arabic version of the Voice Handicap Index (VHI-Arab) were used for analysis. Acoustic measures of fundamental frequency (F₀), jitter, shimmer, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were also analyzed.

Results

Analysis showed a significant difference between street vendors and controls in the total score of the VHI-Arab (p < 0.001) as well as scores of all three VHI-Arab subsections: functional (p < 0.001), physical (p < 0.001), and emotional (p = 0.025). Weak correlations were found among all of the VHI scores and acoustic measures (−0.219 ≤  r ≤ 0.355), except for SNR where a moderate negative correlations were found (r = −0.555; −0.4) between the VHI (physical and total) scores and SNR values. Significant differences also were found in F₀, jitter, and SNR among specific subgroups of street vendors when stratified by weekly hours worked (p < 0.05), and in jitter (p = 0.39) when stratified by educational level.

Conclusions

Perception of voice handicap and a possible effect on vocal quality in street vendors were noted. The effect of factors, namely work hours and educational level, on voice quality should be further studied.