TABLE 3.
Comparison of Voice Health Problem Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic (n=335)
| VHI Questionnaire | Before COVID-19N (%) | During COVID-19N (%) | P-value* |
|---|---|---|---|
| My voice makes it difficult for people to hear me | |||
| Never | 95 (28.4%) | 126 (37.6%) | 0.109 |
| Almost never | 70 (20.9%) | 66 (19.7%) | |
| Sometimes | 84 (25.1%) | 71 (21.2%) | |
| Almost always | 79 (23.6%) | 62 (18.5%) | |
| Always | 07 (02.1%) | 10 (03.0%) | |
| People have difficulty understanding me in a noisy room. | |||
| Never | 86 (25.7%) | 109 (32.5%) | 0.540 |
| Almost never | 61 (18.2%) | 20 (06.0%) | |
| Sometimes | 107 (31.9%) | 107 (31.9%) | |
| Almost always | 40 (11.9%0 | 65 (19.4%) | |
| Always | 41 (12.2%) | 34 (10.1%) | |
| My voice difficulties restrict my personal and social life | |||
| Never | 99 (29.6%) | 126 (37.6%) | 0.002† |
| Almost never | 61 (18.2%) | 79 (23.6%) | |
| Sometimes | 136 (40.6%) | 88 (26.3%) | |
| Almost always | 36 (10.7%) | 42 (12.5%) | |
| Always | 03 (0.90%) | 0 | |
| I feel left out of the conversations because of my voice | |||
| Never | 75 (22.4%) | 119 (35.5%) | <0.001† |
| Almost never | 88 (26.3%) | 66 (19.7%) | |
| Sometimes | 96 (28.7%) | 88 (26.3%) | |
| Almost always | 40 (11.9%) | 40 (11.9%) | |
| Always | 36 (10.7%) | 22 (06.6%) | |
| My voice problem causes me to lose income | |||
| Never | 99 (29.6%) | 106 (31.6%) | <0.001† |
| Almost never | 76 (22.7%) | 93 (27.8%) | |
| Sometimes | 50 (14.9%) | 55 (16.4%) | |
| Almost always | 60 (17.9%) | 49 (14.6%) | |
| Always | 50 (14.9%) | 32 (09.6%) | |
| I feel like I have to strain to produce voice | |||
| Never | 68 (20.3%) | 103 (30.7%) | 0.001† |
| Almost never | 57 (17.0%) | 54 (16.1%) | |
| Sometimes | 122 (36.4%) | 114 (34.0%) | |
| Almost always | 63 (18.8%) | 46 (13.7%) | |
| Always | 25 (07.5%) | 18 (05.4%) | |
| The clarity of my voice is unpredictable | |||
| Never | 87 (26.0%) | 110 (32.8%) | 0.777 |
| Almost never | 54 (16.1%) | 21 (06.3%) | |
| Sometimes | 114 (34.0%) | 121 (36.1%) | |
| Almost always | 56 (16.7%) | 48 (14.3%) | |
| Always | 24 (07.2%) | 35 (10.4%) | |
| My voice problem upsets me | |||
| Never | 89 (26.6%) | 99 (29.6%) | 0.005† |
| Almost never | 43 (12.8%) | 52 (15.5%) | |
| Sometimes | 95 (28.4%) | 115 (34.3%) | |
| Almost always | 70 (20.9%) | 37 (11.0%) | |
| Always | 38 (11.3%) | 32 (09.6%) | |
| My voice makes me feel handicapped | |||
| Never | 69 (20.6%) | 108 (32.2%) | <0.001† |
| Almost never | 70 (20.9%) | 70 (20.9%) | |
| Sometimes | 131 (39.1%) | 92 (27.5%) | |
| Almost always | 48 (14.3%) | 48 (14.3%) | |
| Always | 17 (05.1%) | 17 (05.1%) | |
| People ask, “what's wrong with your voice” | |||
| Never | 86 (25.7%) | 130 (38.8%) | <0.001† |
| Almost never | 63 (18.8%) | 57 (17.0%) | |
| Sometimes | 100 (29.9%) | 56 (16.7%) | |
| Almost always | 43 (12.8%) | 39 (11.6%) | |
| Always | 43 (12.8%) | 53 (15.8%) |
⁎
P-value has been calculated using Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
†
significant at p<0.05 level.