Comparison of the acoustic, aerodynamic, and subjective voice characteristics of amateur soccer players aged 14-16 with those of a normophonic group

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the vocal characteristics of amateur soccer players aged 14-16 years using acoustic voice analysis, aerodynamic measurements, and subjective voice evaluation methods, and to compare the obtained results with normophonic individuals in the same age group. Patients and Methods: A total of 73 participants were included in the study, consisting of 37 amateur soccer players (9 girls, 28 boys) and 36 normophonic children (11 girls, 25 boys). Subjective voice evaluation was performed using the Child Voice Handicap Index-10 (CVHI-10), the Pediatric Voice-Related Quality of Life Scale (PVRQOL), and the GRBAS scale G (Grade) parameter. Acoustic voice analysis was conducted using the Praat software, and included measurements of jitter, shimmer, harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR), fundamental frequency (F0), AVQIv2, and smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS). Aerodynamic measurements included maximum phonation time (MPT) and the s/z ratio. Results: The jitter values of the soccer player group (0.75±0.51) were found to be significantly higher than those of the control group (0.47±0.36) (p=0.010; d=0.622). Shimmer values were also significantly higher in the soccer group (3.58±1.92) compared to the control group (2.71±1.61) (p=0.040; d=0.490). HNR values were significantly lower in the soccer group (25.24±4.24 dB) than in the control group (28.04±5.48 dB) (p=0.017; d=–0.573). No significant differences were found between the groups in terms of F0, MPT, s/z ratio, PVRQOL, CPPS, and AVQIv2 values (p>0.05). Conclusion: Despite exhibiting perceptually normal subjective and overall voice quality parameters, amateur soccer players demonstrated higher jitter and shimmer values and lower HNR values compared to normophonic participants. These findings suggest that intense vocal effort and environmental factors may lead to minimal vocal changes. Therefore, integrating preventive voice hygiene programs into athletes’ training routines is recommended to support long-term vocal health.