Resumo:
Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the teaching routine was adapted to the
online environment, incorporating Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
to enable emergency remote teaching (ERT). Objectives: to assess the impact of ICTs on
the vocal health of teachers engaged in ERT during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods:
Multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted with Basic Education teachers from the
public education system. The dependent variable was the risk of vocal disturbance,
measured using the Screening Index for Voice Disorder (SIVD) questionnaire. The main
independent variables were different forms of ICTs: screen devices for class, headphones,
microphones, and the internet. Results: One hundred and eighty-eight 188 teachers from
São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, and Campinas participated in the study, with a
predominance of women and an average age of 45.85 (±9.0) years. The SIVD indicated a
VD in a large portion of the participants, reported having an inadequate internet
connection during classes, portable screen devices for class and using headphones, but not
using microphones. The use of only the computer as the main screen equipment to teach
classes and always had an adequate internet connection reduce the risk of VD.
Conclusion: Teachers were at risk of VD when adopting ICTs to enable communication
in the ERT. There was a higher risk of VD in female teachers, teachers with a history of
vocal changes before the pandemic, and teachers who had already undergone previous
treatment but were no longer undergoing treatment during the ERT. The working
conditions of the ERE interfered with the vocal health of the teacher. It is expected that
this study will help in understanding the relationship between working conditions and
environment, technological support and vocal health of teachers in ERE, thus
strengthening the evidence of DVRT and the imminent need for actions to mitigate vocal
health problems.
