Voice symptoms and effects of hydration after artistic training in “Centro de Tradições Gaúchas”

Abstract

This study aimed to identify voice symptoms and to analyze the effects of water hydration on the voice of participants of artistic groups of a Centro de Tradições Gaúchas (CTGs). It was a clinical trial, non randomized, single-blinded, two-arm of intervention with 88 participants of CTGs from City of Porto Alegre-Rio Grande do Sul, aged 17 to 48 years old, of both sexes. Four CTGs were selected and invited to the research, and randomized to intervention groups: Hydration Group (GH) and Control Group (CG). The GH included 53 individuals who received vocal health guidelines and had a controlled supply of water during the artistic training period. The CG included 35 individuals who followed the normal training routine, receiving only guidance on general health aspects (not about voice). Evaluations were made in the immediate pre and post-trial periods by Voice Symptom Scale and Voice Symptoms/Sign Questionnaire. It was observed that 42 individuals (47.7% of the sample) had a high number of vocal symptoms before the test, indicating risk for voice disorders. Women had higher scores, and the subjects who participated in the CTG group longer had fewer symptoms. There was no statistically significant difference in the comparison between groups, except for the age variable (p=0.005). After the training, there was a decrease in the symptom “difficulty in singing or speaking low” in GH and an increase in the CG (p=0.005). The results indicate that the studied sample may be at risk for vocal disorders and hydration showed beneficial effects of these individuals.