Summary
Objective
To compare the voice performance of children involved in street labor with regular
children using perceptual-auditory and acoustic analyses.
Methods
A controlled cross-sectional study was carried out on 7- to 10-year-old children of
both genders. Children from both groups lived with their families and attended school
regularly; however, child labor was evident in one group and not the other. A total
of 200 potentially eligible street children, assisted by the Child Labor Elimination
Programme (PETI), and 400 regular children were interviewed. Those with any vocal
discomfort (106, 53% and 90, 22.5%) had their voices assessed for resonance, pitch,
loudness, speech rate, maximum phonation time, and other acoustic measurements.
Results
A total of 106 street children (study group [SG]) and 90 regular children (control
group [CG]) were evaluated. The SG group demonstrated higher oral and nasal resonance,
reduced loudness, a lower pitch, and a slower speech rate than the CG. The maximum
phonation time, fundamental frequency, and upper harmonics were higher in the SG than
the CG. Jitter and shimmer were higher in the CG than the SG.
Conclusion
Using perceptual-auditory and acoustic analyses, we determined that there were differences
in voice performance between the two groups, with street children having better quality
perceptual and acoustic vocal parameters than regular children. We believe that this
is due to the procedures and activities performed by the Child Labor Elimination Program
(PETI), which helps children to cope with their living conditions.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 13, 2013
Accepted:
February 21,
2013
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
