Influence of the characteristics of home office work on self-perceived vocal fatigue during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Purpose To verify the influence of work characteristics and the occupational voice use on the self-perception of vocal fatigue symptoms in individuals working in the home office during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This was a cross-sectional, observational, and descriptive study. The sample consisted of 206 individuals (123 women and 83 men), with an average age of 34 years, working exclusively in a home office mode due to the pandemic. Through an online form, all participants responded to the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) protocol and the questionnaire on the characterization of work and the occupational voice use during the pandemic, developed by the authors of this study. Multiple linear regression using the backward elimination technique was performed. Results The variables the interlocutor does “not listen to me in home office work,” “noise in the home office work environment,” “the daily workload in home office,” “vocal quality worsened in home office work,” “increased vocal loudness in home office work” and “lack of training about voice use in home office work” are predictors of the dependent variable vocal fatigue symptoms. Conclusion The characteristics of work and occupational voice use influence the self-perception of vocal fatigue symptoms in individuals working in the home office mode during the COVID-19 pandemic.