Self-perception of voice, hearing, and general health in screening for voice changes in older women.

Purpose: To verify the association between sociodemographic factors, vocal behavior, morbidities, and self-perception of voice, hearing, and general health in older women with voice disorders.

Methods: The sample had 95 older women aged 60 to 84 years (mean of 69,5). They were interviewed with a structured questionnaire on sociodemographic aspects, health, and vocal behavior. The Screening Protocol for Voice Disorders in Older Adults (RAVI) was used to identify the presence of voice disorders.

Results: Participants who had finished high school and were retired predominated. The number of older women with voice disorders according to RAVI was 46.3%. Physical sensations such as dry throat, throat clearing, and itchy throat were the most common complaints. The group of older women with voice disorders had worse self-perception of voice quality, hearing, and general health and a higher frequency of upper airway infections than those without voice disorders (p ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion: The vocal self-assessment measured with RAVI was statistically associated with self-perception of voice quality, hearing, general health, sore throat, sinusitis, and respiratory allergies.