How older adults relate to their own voices: a qualitative study of subjective experiences of the aging voice

Abstract

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate how otherwise healthy older adults with self-assessed voice problems relate to their voice and voice changes.

Method

Focus groups were conducted at an activity center to identify how older adults reflect on their own voice and the aging voice in general. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. The analysis was done using thematic content analysis.

Results

The analysis resulted in three main themes: “communicational aspects of the aging voice,” “consequences of deteriorating vocal and communicative capacity,” and “attitudes, strategies, and ideas”. The participants considered voice to be an important communication tool and presented what could be interpreted as awareness regarding their voice. Voice changes were considered a natural part of aging. This attitude was also an important reason why the participants had not sought medical care for their voice problems. The participants discussed ideas concerning extended voice use to maintain a functioning voice when aging. Simultaneously, voice changes due to aging were considered to have a negative effect on communication and social participation.

Conclusions

The voice is important for older adults, and an insufficient voice can affect communication and social participation. Information about aging voice and voice exercises, for example from speech language pathologists, could be of interest among older adults. Further studies on the voice of older adults are needed regarding how they experience their voice and the general aspects of a healthy aging voice.

Keywords:

• Voice problems
• social participation
• presbyphonia
• communication
• focus group interviews

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE) (2019-01329).

Notes on contributors

Emma Lindström

Emma Lindström is a registered speech language pathologist and PhD student at Åbo Akademi in Finland, and teaches voice at Lund University in Sweden. Her research concerns voice and vocal changes due to aging and how they affect communication. She also studies social participation in relation to communication.

Greta Öhlund Wistbacka

Greta Öhlund Wistbacka (PhD) is a postdoctoral fellow at the Technical University of Denmark. Her research mainly focuses on voice and communication in relation to room acoustics and vocal rehabilitation.

Agnes Lötvall

Agnes Lötvall (MSc) is a registered speech language pathologist working as a clinician.

Roland Rydell

Roland Rydell (MD, PhD) is an associate professor at Lund University and a clinically active phoniatrician, laryngologist, and phonosurgeon. His research concerns voice, vocal load, and oncology.

Viveka Lyberg Åhlander

Viveka Lyberg Åhlander (PhD) is a professor of speech language pathology at Åbo Akademi, Finland, and associate professor at Lund University. Her research concerns voice, communication, interaction in the room, how these dimensions affect the speaker and listeners and their understanding and wellbeing.