Functional, emotional, and physical dimensions of voice fatigue among music teachers at a private arts university in Sichuan, China: a cross-sectional survey

TL;DR

This study explores voice fatigue among music teachers in a Chinese private arts university, revealing its prevalence and links to teaching roles.

Contribution

The study provides a multidimensional analysis of voice fatigue in a specific institutional and cultural context.

Findings

47.6% of teachers reported frequent voice fatigue during work hours.

Functional, emotional, and physical fatigue dimensions were strongly intercorrelated.

Physical fatigue varied significantly by teaching specialization.

Abstract

Voice fatigue is a significant occupational hazard for professional voice users, yet it remains within private higher education institutions in China. This study aims to conduct a multidimensional analysis of voice fatigue in music teachers from a single private arts university in Sichuan, China, investigating its functional, emotional, and physical dimensions and their relationship with specific occupational factors in this setting.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 63 teachers at a private arts university in Sichuan, China. Participants completed the validated Voice Fatigue Handicap Questionnaire (MC-VFHQ). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and exploratory analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine the prevalence of voice fatigue and the influence of the pre-specified occupational factor of teaching specialization (course type). No a priori power analysis was conducted; therefore, inferential analyses were interpreted as exploratory and context-specific.

A substantial proportion of teachers (47.6%) reported experiencing voice fatigue “often or always” during work hours. The functional, emotional, and physical dimensions of fatigue were strongly and positively intercorrelated, with the highest correlation found between the functional and physical dimensions (r = 0.712, df = 61, p = 6.05 × 10−11). ANOVA results suggested that physical fatigue differed by course type [F(2, 60) = 6.260, p = 0.003, η_p2 = 0.173]. Post-hoc Tukey tests indicated higher physical fatigue among music theory and instrumental instructors than vocal instructors within this sample.

Voice fatigue is a prevalent and multifaceted occupational health issue for the music teachers in the studied institution. The strong interplay between its dimensions and the significant influence of specific teaching duties. These exploratory findings may inform institution-level consideration of targeted voice-health supports in comparable private arts-university settings. Given the modest, non-random, single-site sample and the lack of a priori power analysis, conclusions are limited to this setting and should be treated as hypothesis-generating for broader populations.

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