Relationship between working and voice conditions self-reported by telemarketers of an emergency call center

Santos, Claudionaria Torres dos; Santos, Ciro; Lopes, Leonardo Wanderley; Silva, Priscila Oliveira Costa; Lima-Silva, Maria Fabiana Bonfim de

doi:10.1590/2317-1782/20162015125

Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Brasil

Español English

sumário « anterior atual seguinte »

Sumário

Original Articles • CoDAS 28 (05) • Sep-Oct 2016 • https://doi.org/10.1590/2317-1782/20162015125 copy

Relationship between working and voice conditions self-reported by telemarketers of an emergency call center

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To investigate whether there is association between vocal symptoms, voice complaint, and working and voice conditions self-reported by telemarketers.

Methods

Study participants were 72 telemarketing operators, both genders, who work in an emergency call center. They responded to a questionnaire on personal data, voice complaints, vocal symptoms, and working conditions. Data analysis was performed using the Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and Fisher’s Exact tests.

Results

Correlation was found between the telemarketers in the study group and voice disorder complaint for aspects of working condition, such as noisy working environment, and aspects of voice condition, such as change in the voice and workplace absence. Differences were observed between the mean of auditory vocal symptoms of participants for echo in the work room, change in voice, and workplace absence, as well as between the mean of their sensory vocal symptoms in relation to the variables stressful work rate, noisy working environment, noise from other rooms, echo in the work room, radio use, change in voice, and workplace absence.

Conclusion

Correlation was found between the presence of vocal complaints, number of auditory and sensory vocal symptoms, and working conditions self-reported by the telemarketers surveyed.

Keywords
Voice; Voice Disorders; Occupational Health; Working Conditions; Telecommunications

VARIABLES	CATEGORIES			N	%
Working conditions	Stressful work rate		No	55	76.4
Working conditions			Yes	17	23.6
	Noisy working environment		No	53	73.6
	Noisy working environment		Yes	19	26.4
	Origin of noise	Work room	No	17	23.6
			Yes	55	76.4
		Air conditioning	No	52	72.2
			Yes	20	27.8
		Other rooms	No	60	83.3
			Yes	12	16.7
	Satisfactory acoustics		No	47	65.3
			Yes	25	34.7
	Echo in the room		No	56	77.8
			Yes	16	22.2
	Telecommunication equipment used		Headset	12	16.7
	Telecommunication equipment used		Microphone	16	22.2
			Telephone	43	59.7
			Radio	27	27.5

VARIABLES		CATEGORIES	N	%
voice disorder complaint		No	41	56.9
		Yes	31	43.1
Total			72	100.0
Change in the voice after beginning in the profession		No	57	79.2
		Yes	15	20.8
Total			72	100.0
Workplace absence because of the voice		No	49	68.1
		Yes	23	31.9
Total			72	100.0
Auditory vocal symptoms	Hoarse voice	No	44	61.1
Auditory vocal symptoms	Hoarse voice	Yes	28	38.9
	Deep voice	No	52	72.2
	Deep voice	Yes	20	27.8
	Faint voice	No	58	80.6
	Faint voice	Yes	14	19.4
Sensory vocal symptoms	Throat clearing (hawking)	No	38	52.8
		Yes	34	47.2
	Dry cough	No	44	61.1
	Dry cough	Yes	28	38.9
	Dry throat	No	44	61.1
	Dry throat	Yes	28	38.9

VARIABLES	Without voice disorder complaint		With voice disorder complaint		p-value
VARIABLES	N	%	N	%	p-value
Stressful work rate	35	63.6	20	36.4	0.074
No	6	35.3	11	64.7	0.074
Yes
Noisy working environment
No	35	66.0	18	34.0	0.017^* * Statistically significant values
Yes	6	31.6	13	68.4
Noise in the work room
No	13	76.5	4	23.5	0.055
Yes	28	50.9	27	49.1
Noise from other rooms
No	37	61.7	23	38.3	0.069
Yes	4	33.3	8	66.7
Echo in the work room
No	36	64.3	20	35.7	0.062
Yes	5	31.2	11	68.8
Telecommunication equipment - radio
No	30	66.7	15	33.3	0.096
Yes	11	40.7	16	59.3
Change in the voice after beginning in the profession
No	40	70.2	17	29.8	<0.001^* * Statistically significant values
Yes	1	6.7	14	93.3
Workplace absence because of the voice
No	35	71.4	14	28.6	0.002^* * Statistically significant values
Yes	3	20.0	12	80.0

VARIABLES	N		Mean of auditory vocal symptoms	p-value
Noisy working environment
No	53	73.6	1.25	0.079
Yes	19	26.4	2.05
Noise from other rooms
No	60	83.3	1.25	0.083
Yes	12	16.7	2.5
Echo in the work room
No	56	77.8	1.27	0.025^* * Statistically significant values
Yes	16	22.2	2.13
Telecommunication equipment - radio
No	45	62.5	1.24	0.057
Yes	27	37.5	1.81
Change in the voice after beginning in the profession
No	57	79.2	1.12	0.006^* * Statistically significant values
Yes	15	20.8	2.73
Workplace absence because of the voice
No	49	68.1	1.08	0.001^* * Statistically significant values
Yes	23	31.9	2.67

VARIABLES	N	%	Mean of sensory vocal symptoms	p-value
Stressful work rate
No	55	76.4	2.69	0.034^* * Statistically significant values
Yes	17	23.6	4.76
Noisy working environment
No	53	73.6	2.66	0.023^* * Statistically significant values
Yes	19	26.4	4.63
Noise from other rooms
No	60	83.3	2.78	0.032^* * Statistically significant values
Yes	12	16.7	5.17
Satisfactory acoustics
No	47	65.3	3.74	0.057
Yes	25	34.7	2.12
Echo in the work room
No	56	77.8	2.68	0.01^* * Statistically significant values
Yes	16	22.2	4.94
Telecommunication equipment - radio
No	45	62.5	2.62	0.032^* * Statistically significant values
Yes	27	37.5	4.11
Change in the voice after beginning in the profession
No	57	79.2	2.35	<0.001^* * Statistically significant values
Yes	15	20.8	6.33
Workplace absence because of the voice
No	49	68.1	2.33	0.002^* * Statistically significant values
Yes	23	31.9	5.27

Sociedade Brasileira de Fonoaudiologia Al. Jaú, 684, 7º andar, 01420-002 São Paulo - SP Brasil, Tel./Fax 55 11 - 3873-4211 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: revista@codas.org.br

Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS

[1] Conflict of interests: nothing to declare.