Factores de riesgo y características vocales en los cantantes de coros amateur

Abstract

IntroductionSingers are one of the groups of voice professionals with a higher incidence of vocal disorders which expose them to many risk factors. These risks are even higher in singers in amateur choirs, who usually lack vocal technique. MethodVocal traits and risk factors of 39 amateur choir singers were studied using the VHI-10, the S-VHI, laryngeal examination and acoustic analysis. ResultsThe singers who had not received lessons in vocal technique obtained higher marks in VHI-10 (10.5; P=.001) as well as in S-VHI (55.9; P=.010) compared to those who had (4 in VHI-10 and 31.4 in S-VHI). As regards sex, we find that women achieve higher marks (51.6) than men (35) in the S-VHI (P=.019). In the sample we find 9 subjects (23.1%) with evidence of vocal fatigue and 6 (15.4%) with reflux. In the acoustic analysis we observe that the frequency is higher in the singing voice (278.1HZ) than in the speaking voice (168.4Hz), the harmonics are also higher in the singing voice (28dB) than in the speaking voice (22dB), the jitter values are higher in the speaking voice (.24) than in the singing voice (.14), and shimmer values are also higher in the speaking voice (1.71) than in the singing voice (1.23). ConclusionThe lack of vocal technique in amateur choir singers determines a higher mark in the VHI-10 and S-VHI tests together with alterations to the larynx.