Summary
Because voice disorders in childhood may have a negative impact on communicative effectiveness,
social development, and self-esteem, the objective was to determine the impact of
voice disorders on lives of children from the perspective of chronically dysphonic
children and their parents. This study consisted of focused interviews with chronically
dysphonic children and their caregivers. Focused interviews were conducted with 10
children in each of the following age groups: Toddler (2–4 years old), Young Child
(5–7 years old), School-Aged Child (8–12 years old), and Adolescent (13–18 years old).
Interview questions were formulated to elicit attitudes in the following conceptual
domains: emotional, social/functional, and physical. Interviews were transcribed and
subjected to systematic qualitative analyses that identified common themes within
each age group for each conceptual domain. For Toddlers, interviews relied heavily
on parents and the biggest concerns were found in the physical and functional domains.
Young Children expressed that their biggest issues related to voice were physical
(“run out of air,” “sometimes voice does not work”). Ninety percent of Young Children
were repeatedly asked to use a quieter voice. Emotional factors and physical factors
were prominent in the interviews of School-Aged Children and Adolescents. Children
and Adolescents often felt that their dysphonic voice received undue attention and
also limited their participation in important events. Anger, sadness, and frustration
were also expressed. Chronic dysphonia negatively affects the lives of children. This
work will serve as the basis for development of a valid, reliable, and age-appropriate
measure of voice-related quality of life in children.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 21, 2007
Accepted:
September 15,
2006
Identification
Copyright
© 2008 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
