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Introduction: Studies to understand the vocal profile of a population are important to plan collective health measures. The prevalence of vocal symptoms can be indicative of vocal disorder and must be investigated to support measures to prevent vocal diseases. Aim: To characterize vocal symptoms in college students and their possible causes, and to analyze the association between hoarseness, vocal fatigue, phlegm, and burning in the throat with the possible causes mentioned. Method: Prospective study of 517 students who answered a questionnaire about their general heath and vocal symptoms and causes. We used the study of proportions, measures of central tendency, and a chi-square test to associate the presence of symptoms and possible causes. Results: Symptoms most often mentioned: dry mouth (21%), dry throat (18.2%), phlegm (17.9%). Causes most often cited: high respiratory disease (39%), intense voice use (24%), smoking (24%). Hoarseness was associated with heavy use of voice and high respiratory disease; vocal fatigue with intense voice use, stress, and digestive problems; burning in the throat with intensive voice use, high respiratory disease, and pollution; phlegm with smoking, and upper respiratory and digestive problems. Conclusion: Not only do aspects of health and the voice interfere with its production, the external environment and habits influence the vocal symptoms of this population as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze, based on speech-language pathologists reports, how oral expressiveness has been approached with radio professionals in Brazil. Methods: Six speech-language pathologists experienced in working with radio professionals answered semi-structured interviews that were transcribed and categorized according to general performance characteristics and to the expressiveness concept. Categories were illustrated with excerpts of the participants' interviews. Results: Speech-Language Pathology intervention happens similarly in schools for announcers and within radio stations. The prevention of vocal disorders has considerable space in these practices, and mostly occurs in the form of orientations regarding vocal health. The term oral expressiveness is relatively new, and, at times the meaning of the message is conveyed by the speaker's individual characteristics, by the content of the text message, or by the style of a particular station. Intervention aims include strategies approaching pause, voice quality, resonance, articulation, pitch, loudness, speed and breathing. The most used strategy is the reading of texts of different genres, including radio subjects. Conclusion: The term oral expressiveness is not generally used by the subjects interviewed, due to the fact that its concept is new to them. The term comprises the conveyance of emotions and intention by the speaker. The following aspects were considered to interfere on oral expressiveness: listeners' judgment; adequacy of the speech to the context; style of the radio station; and textual content of the message, evidencing the dynamics between subjective and social. More theoretical studies in Linguistics may subsidize less conceptually diverse practices when considering speech-language interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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