Gender Differences and Speech Accommodation in Occupational Settings

描述（由申请人提供）：研究目的：一个多学科的研究小组已经成立，以调查特定的基于性别的语音产生差异，这可能是女性发声健康问题发病率升高的基础，特别是在高声音使用专业。具体来说，该项目将测量演讲者如何调整他们的演讲作品，以补偿环境声学变化，观众需求和声音过度使用。我们将在实验控制的几个层次上解决这个问题：（1）自然环境中的观察，（2）实验室环境中的受控实验，（3）高度受控的计算机模拟。这些目标的结果可以用来制定预防和康复策略，为女性职业的声音用户。 意义：女性嗓音障碍的终生发病率明显高于男性（46.3%比36.9%）。无论性别如何，职业声音使用者（或要求使用高声音的职业成员）的声音损伤风险增加（例如，11%的教师和6.2%的非教师报告目前的声音问题）。不幸的是，在这些职业（如教学、咨询或紧急派遣）工作的妇女中，这种明显的健康差距似乎更大。 两大职业语音用户群体，教师和呼叫中心工作人员，主要是女性（分别为69%和64%）。虽然并非所有从事这些职业的女性都会遇到声音问题，但这些专业人士面临着声音问题增加的双重风险：他们的性别和工作。这个问题很重要，因为目前还不清楚为什么女性的风险比男性高，为什么有些女性比其他女性更容易遇到声音健康问题。此外，从事这些职业的妇女将嗓子作为主要的贸易工具，使任何严重的嗓子问题都成为有效履行工作职能和继续就业的障碍。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): STUDY AIMS: A multi-disciplinary research team has been assembled to investigate specific gender-based speech production differences that may underlie women's elevated incidence of vocal health problems, especially in high-voice use professions. Specifically, this project will measure how speakers adjust their speech productions to compensate for environmental acoustic changes, audience requirements, and voice overuse. We will approach this problem at several levels of experimental control: (1) observations in a natural setting, (2) controlled experiments in a laboratory setting, and (3) highly controlled computer simulations. The results of these aims can be used to develop preventative and rehabilitative strategies for female occupational voice users. SIGNIFICANCE: Women have a notably higher lifetime incidence of voice disorders than men (46.3% vs. 36.9%). Regardless of the gender, occupational voice users (or members of professions that demand high voice use) are at an increased risk for vocal injury (e.g., 11% of teachers vs. 6.2% of non-teachers reported current voice problems). Unfortunately, this vocal health disparity appears to be intensified for women who work in these professions (such as teaching, counseling, or emergency dispatch). Two large populations of occupational voice users, teachers and call center workers, are primarily female (69% and 64%, respectively). While not all women in these occupations experience voice problems, these professionals face a dual risk for increased voice issues: their gender and their jobs. This problem is important to explore because, at this time, it is not precisely known why women are at higher risk than men and why some women experience vocal health issues more than others. In addition, women in these professions use the voice as a primary tool of trade, making any serious voice problems an impediment to effective performance of job functions and continued employment.