The voice of retired teachers

Abstract

Background: The limited availability of updated publications on the voice in older adults and retired teachers is of concern, which could reflect a lack of appreciation of the characteristics of this age group. Objective: To determine the levels of acoustic disturbance in the voice of retired teachers of the Unión Nacional de Educadores - Núcleo Azuay, in the year 2024. Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The inclusion criteria were retired teachers who authorized their participation, members of the union of retired teachers of the UNE-Nucleo Azuay, and aged 60 years or older. Teachers with neurological disorders and those who attended vocal therapy were excluded. The data collected were analyzed with SPSS version 22. Results: 63.3% of the population consumes irritating foods, 51.7% have inadequate hydration, and 33.3% present vocal difficulties without attending therapy. Acoustic analysis shows in most normal values in fundamental frequency, Jitter and harmonic-to-noise ratio, but 40 % present alterations in Shimmer.Conclusions: The results reveal the prevalence of vocal alterations in this population, related to unhealthy habits and lack of awareness about the importance of vocal care. Therefore, it is essential to implement preventive and awareness strategies to improve vocal health in retired teachers, even though there is not much research in this area in this age group.