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

Figures & data

Table 1. Description of thematic content analysis with examples of meaning units, condensed into code groups and subordinated subgroups, finally resulting in a main theme.

Meaning unit	Theme	Subgroup	Main theme
“When your hearing is poor you speak louder yourself.”	Communication	–	Communicational aspects of the aging voice
“Yes, being upset must affect the voice, making it quieter. You don’t speak out, but rather keep your voice down.”	Factors	Individual factors	Communicational aspects of the aging voice
“It’s like that in the morning too, before your voice has got going.”	Factors	Environmental factors	Communicational aspects of the aging voice
“I talk to myself as I have nobody else to talk to.”	Voice use	Current voice use	Communicational aspects of the aging voice
“I think it’s because when you went to work you used to start quite early in the morning.”	Voice use	Earlier voice use	Communicational aspects of the aging voice
“So I notice, that I can’t sing any more, not soprano anyway.”	Voice changes as a result of aging and retirement	–	Communicational aspects of the aging voice
“And I think, you know, I’d really like to ask that. But I’m very hoarse now, I can’t. They won’t hear me anyway, so I leave it.”	Consequences	–	Consequences of deteriorating vocal and communicative capacity
“I suppose you just have to accept that your voice isn’t so easy to hear anymore.”	Attitudes	–	Attitudes, strategies, and ideas
“But I practice at home and do a proper warm-up when I get to choir practice and so on. That helps.”	Strategies	Implemented strategies and measures	Attitudes, strategies, and ideas
“Maybe I should go around talking to myself. I get very hoarse.”	Strategies	Proposed strategies and measures	Attitudes, strategies, and ideas