PURPOSE: to analyze the vocal production conditions for furniture and household appliance salespeople, considering the aspects of general health, vocal habits, as well as vocal symptoms and their possible causes. METHODS: 100 furniture and household appliance salespeople of both genders were selected in their own work environment, to answer a questionnaire composed of 16 questions concerning personal information, issues on general health, vocal habits and symptoms. Data were digitized and analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 13.0. RESULTS: the sample was composed of 66 men and 34 women, with an average age of 24 years of age, working in this occupation for an mean time of 8.5 years. The subjects mostly reported general health disorders, related to emotional (31%), sleep (27%), and digestive (25%) issues; in auditory disorders, such as ear-itch (36%), intolerance to loud sounds (29%), and hearing difficulty (20%). As far as vocal habits, the aspects mentioned were excessive talking (83%), fluid intake in cold temperatures (73%) and drinking coffee (68%). The symptoms that were most reported were dry throat and mouth (30%), vocal fatigue (22%) and phlegm (18%). The possible causes associated to these symptoms by the participants in the study were intense vocal usage (49%), presence of dust (27%) and air-conditioning (23%) in work environment. Only four subjects reported having a voice disorder. CONCLUSION: the salespeople at issue note the occurrence of vocal symptoms, but not those related to voice disorders. They are also unaware of vocal care habits. Therefore, they need health promotion and vocal disorder prevention actions, aiming at making them aware on these health issues.
Voice; Health Profile; Voice Disorders
