Road traffic noise and health-related quality of life: a cross-sectional study

Effects of personal noise exposure, sleep quality, and burnout on quality of life: An online participation cohort study in Taiwan

Chronic noise exposure in daily life not only causes physical and mental illness but also reduces quality of life. However, collecting objective data on sound exposure and subjective acoustic comfort through a traditional one-shot survey is difficult. This study applied online chatbots in social media to explore the effects of daily sound exposure, personal characteristics, noise sensitivity, burnout status, and sleep quality on quality of life using a short-term participatory cohort design. During the two-month survey in 2022, 207 participants completed at least 15 days of collection of data on sound exposure and perception, as well as periodic structural questionnaires during the follow-ups. Linear regression and generalized linear models were applied to explore the factors influencing personal burnout, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and quality of life. A chain mediation model was applied to explore the direct and indirect effects of noise exposure on quality of life. The results showed a better quality of life among respondents who rated their home environment better, were in good health, had better daily acoustic comfort, and were less exposed to noise during the week. In contrast, respondents with lower daily acoustic comfort and a higher frequency of noise-induced sleep disturbances and mood disorders were more likely to have poorer sleep quality. A higher personal burnout was associated with poorer health, longer exposure to noise during the week, a higher frequency of noise-induced illnesses, and neurotic traits. In the mediation analyses, noise-induced sleep disturbance and better daily acoustic comfort also had important direct influences on quality of life compared to the indirect pathway through sleep quality and personal burnout. In conclusion, noise exposure in daily life not only exacerbated poor sleep quality and personal burnout but also reduced quality of life.

Types, sources, socioeconomic impacts, and control strategies of environmental noise: a review

Noise exposure has reached an alarming degree over the years because of rapid growth in the industry, transportation, and urbanization. Therefore, it is a dire need to provide awareness of the sources and mitigation strategies of noise, and to highlight the health, and socio-economic impacts of noise. A few research studies have documented this emerging issue; however, there is no comprehensive document describing all types of noise, their impacts on living organisms, and control strategies. This review article summarizes the sources of noise; their effects on industrial workers, citizens, and animals; and the value of property in noisy areas. The plethora of literature is showing an increased level of noise in various cities of the world, which have various health consequences such as high blood pressure, insomnia, nausea, heart attack, exhaustion, dizziness, headache, and triggered hearing loss. Apart from humans, noise also affects animal habitat, preying, and reproduction ability; increases heart rate and hearing loss to even death and loss in property value; and impairs the hospital environment. Finally, we have discussed the possible strategies to mitigate the noise problem, policy statements, and regulations to be followed, with future research directions based on the identified research gaps.

Association between built environments and quality of life among community residents: mediation analysis of air pollution

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between built environments and quality of life (QoL), and the mediating role of air pollution in that relationship.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional population-based study.

METHODS

Data of 5196 adults residing in 148 communities in three cities in Liaoning Province, China, were analyzed. Objective measures of traffic design included street connectivity, road network density, bus station density, and parking lot density; residential greenness was controlled as a confounder. QoL was evaluated using the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey. The average concentrations of PM_2.5 and SO₂ one month before QoL collection for each community were calculated.

RESULTS

Road network density and parking lot density were negatively associated with the Physical Component Summary (PCS), but street connectivity was positively associated with PCS for the participants. Bus station density, street connectivity, and parking lot density were negatively associated with the Mental Component Summary (MCS), and PM_2.5 and SO₂ mediated this association. In addition, gender and road network density and parking lot density had an interactive effect on the MCS of the participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Dense traffic affects people's health not only directly but also indirectly through air pollution. The effects of built environments and air pollution should be considered when building healthy, supportive communities, and healthy cities.

Impacts of Built Environment on Risk of Women's Lung Cancer: A Case Study of China

Built environment factors such as air pollution are associated with the risk of respiratory disease, but few studies have carried out profound investigation. We aimed to evaluate the association between the built environment and Chinese women’s lung cancer incidence data from the China Cancer Registry Annual Report 2017, which covered 345,711,600 people and 449 qualified cancer registries in mainland China. The air quality indicator (PM2.5) and other built environment data are obtained from the China Statistical Yearbook and other official approved materials. An exploratory regression tool is applied by using Chinese women’s lung cancer incidence data (Segi population) as the dependent variable, PM2.5 index and other built environment factors as the independent variables. An apparent clustering region with a high incidence of women’s lung cancer was discovered, including regions surrounding Bohai bay and the three Chinese northeastern provinces, Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Inner Mongolia. Besides air quality, built environment factors were found to have a weak but clear impact on lung cancer incidence. Land-use intensity and the greening coverage ratio were positive, and the urbanization rate and population density were negatively correlated with lung cancer incidence. The role of green spaces in Chinese women’s lung cancer incidence has not been proven.

Insomnia associated with traffic noise and proximity to traffic-a cross-sectional study of the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe III population

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Exposure to traffic noise increases the risk of sleeping disturbance, but little is known about the effect of traffic-related air pollution on insomnia symptoms. We aimed to investigate the separate associations of self-reported proximity to traffic and traffic noise with insomnia.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study of the population included in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe study, consisting of randomly selected men and women born between 1945 and 1973, from 7 Northern European centers. Hearing traffic noise in the bedroom, bedroom window proximity to traffic, and insomnia symptoms were self-reported. Bedroom window proximity to traffic was used as a surrogate for exposure to traffic-related air pollution. The following insomnia symptoms were assessed: difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, and early morning awakening.

RESULTS

A total of 12,963 individuals was included. Traffic noise was positively associated with all three insomnia symptoms: difficulty initiating sleep (odds ratio [OR] = 3.54; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.85, 6.76), difficulty maintaining sleep (OR = 2.95; 95% CI: 1.62, 5.37), and early morning awakening (OR = 3.25; 95% CI: 1.97, 5.37). Proximity to traffic without disturbing noise was associated with difficulty initiating sleep (OR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.45, 1.82).

CONCLUSIONS

This study adds further support to the identification of traffic noise as a risk factor for insomnia. Proximity to traffic without being exposed to noise was associated with an increased risk of difficulty initiating sleep. Our findings indicate that insomnia may be associated with both traffic noise and traffic-related air pollution.

University Students' Self-Rated Health in Relation to Perceived Acoustic Environment during the COVID-19 Home Quarantine

BACKGROUND

Online education became mandatory for many students during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and blurred the distinction between settings where processes of stress and restoration used to take place. The lockdown also likely changed perceptions of the indoor acoustic environment (i.e., soundscape) and raised its importance. In the present study, we seek to understand how indoor soundscape related to university students' self-rated health in Bulgaria around the time that the country was under a state of emergency declaration caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Between 17 May and 10 June 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey among 323 students (median age 21 years; 31% male) from two universities in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Self-rated health (SRH) was measured with a single-item. Participants were asked how frequently they heard different types of sounds while at home and how pleasant they considered each of those sounds to be. Restorative quality of the home (the "being away" dimension of the Perceived Restorativeness Scale) was measured with a single-item. A priori confounders and effect modifiers included sociodemographics, house-related characteristics, general sensitivity to environmental influences, and mental health. Our analysis strategy involved sequential exploratory factor analysis (EFA), multivariate linear and ordinal regressions, effect modification tests, and structural equation modeling (SEM).

RESULTS

EFA supported grouping perceived sounds into three distinct factors-mechanical, human, and nature sounds. Regression analyses revealed that greater exposure to mechanical sounds was consistently associated with worse SRH, whereas no significant associations were found for human and nature sounds. In SEM, exposure to mechanical sounds related to lower restorative quality of the home, and then to poorer SRH, whereas nature sounds correlated with higher restorative quality, and in turn with better SRH.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest a role of positive indoor soundscape and restorative quality for promoting self-rated health in times of social distancing.

University Students' Self-Rated Health in Relation to Perceived Acoustic Environment during the COVID-19 Home Quarantine

BACKGROUND

Online education became mandatory for many students during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and blurred the distinction between settings where processes of stress and restoration used to take place. The lockdown also likely changed perceptions of the indoor acoustic environment (i.e., soundscape) and raised its importance. In the present study, we seek to understand how indoor soundscape related to university students' self-rated health in Bulgaria around the time that the country was under a state of emergency declaration caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Between 17 May and 10 June 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey among 323 students (median age 21 years; 31% male) from two universities in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Self-rated health (SRH) was measured with a single-item. Participants were asked how frequently they heard different types of sounds while at home and how pleasant they considered each of those sounds to be. Restorative quality of the home (the "being away" dimension of the Perceived Restorativeness Scale) was measured with a single-item. A priori confounders and effect modifiers included sociodemographics, house-related characteristics, general sensitivity to environmental influences, and mental health. Our analysis strategy involved sequential exploratory factor analysis (EFA), multivariate linear and ordinal regressions, effect modification tests, and structural equation modeling (SEM).

RESULTS

EFA supported grouping perceived sounds into three distinct factors-mechanical, human, and nature sounds. Regression analyses revealed that greater exposure to mechanical sounds was consistently associated with worse SRH, whereas no significant associations were found for human and nature sounds. In SEM, exposure to mechanical sounds related to lower restorative quality of the home, and then to poorer SRH, whereas nature sounds correlated with higher restorative quality, and in turn with better SRH.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest a role of positive indoor soundscape and restorative quality for promoting self-rated health in times of social distancing.

The Epidemiology of Noise Sensitivity in New Zealand

BACKGROUND

Sensitivity to noise, or nuisance sounds that interrupt relaxation and task-related activities, has been shown to vary significantly across individuals. The current study sought to uncover predictors of noise sensitivity, focussing on possible social and cultural determinants, including social position, education, ethnicity, gender, and the presence of an illness.

METHOD

Data were collected from 746 New Zealand adults residing in 6 areas differentiated by social position. Participants responded to questions probing personal characteristics, noise sensitivity, illness, neighbourhood problems, and noise annoyance. It was hypothesized that those in high-deprivation areas and/or experiencing illness report higher levels of noise sensitivity.

RESULTS

Approximately 50 and 10% of the participants reported being moderately or very noise sensitive, respectively. Significant predictors of noise sensitivity included age, length of residence, level of social deprivation, and self-reported illness.

CONCLUSION

There is evidence of social determinants of noise sensitivity, including social position and residential factors.

Subjective criteria underlying noise-tolerance in the presence of speech

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to determine the relative contribution of four criteria (loudness, annoyance, distraction, speech interference) to participants' noise-tolerance thresholds (NTT).

DESIGN

While listening to speech in noise set at the highest signal-to-noise ratio at which noise became unacceptable (noise tolerance threshold), participants completed paired-comparison judgments of loudness, annoyance, distraction, and speech interference to determine the noise domain(s) that were most important in their noise tolerance judgments. Participants also completed absolute ratings of the noise using the same noise domains, which were combined with the paired comparison data for analysis.

STUDY SAMPLE

Sixty-three adults with normal hearing participated.

RESULTS

For the entire group, speech interference and distraction were the largest contributors to noise tolerance. A cluster analysis indicated three distinct groups: criteria were dominated by either annoyance (33%); distraction (48%), or speech interference (19%). Significant differences in NTT among the groups revealed the highest mean NTT for the annoyance group and lowest NTT for the speech interference group.

CONCLUSION

The majority of participants based NTTs on criteria related to the noise itself (annoyance or distraction) and had greater noise sensitivity than the smaller group of participants who focused more on speech intelligibility in the noise.

Short-term effects of traffic noise on suicides and emergency hospital admissions due to anxiety and depression in Madrid (Spain)

Studies show a relationship between some mental illnesses and suicides and different environmental variables such as air pollution, characterized by stress at the neuropsychological level. Despite the fact that traffic noise is also a powerful neurological stressor, studies that relate traffic noise to these mental disorders are practically non-existent. The objective is to analyze the short-term impact that chemical air pollution, traffic noise and thermal extremes have on emergency hospital admissions due to anxiety, dementia and suicides in the city of Madrid. This ecological, longitudinal study uses generalized linear models with Poisson link to analyze the short-term impact of the average daily concentrations of chemical pollutants (NO₂, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, O₃), noise pollution indicators (Leq_day, Leq_night and Leq_24h) and temperatures during heat waves (T_heat) and cold waves (T_cold) on daily admissions to emergency services in the city of Madrid from 2010 to 2013 due to anxiety (ICD-10: F32), depression (ICD-10: F40-F42) and suicide (ICD-10: X60-X84). The results show no association between any of the chemical pollutants considered and the dependent variables studied. On the contrary, the values of Leq_day are associated with the three variables analyzed in lag 0 for the cases of anxiety and depression and in lag 1 for suicides, with RR: 1.20 (IC95% 1.14 1.26), RR: 1.11 (IC95% 1.06 1.16) and RR: 1.17 (IC95% 1.05 1.30), respectively, for increases of 1 dB(A) in the values of Leq_day. An association was also found between T_cold and admissions for anxiety in lag 9 with RR: 1.62 (IC95% 1.18 2.22) for increases of 1 °C in the values of T_cold. Traffic noise can be considered an important risk factor related to the illnesses and anxiety and depression and for suicides in the city of Madrid, although new studies are needed to support the findings shown here.

The association between health-related quality of life and noise or light sensitivity in survivors of a mild traumatic brain injury

PURPOSE

Sensory impairment is a common aftereffect of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, their influence upon treatment outcomes and quality of life has yet to be investigated. This study sought to determine the effects of noise and light sensitivity upon the quality of life of individuals diagnosed with a TBI.

METHODS

A cross-sectional adult sample obtained from a longitudinal study (n = 293) provided measures of light and noise sensitivity and quality of life 12 months post injury. Sensitivities were taken from the Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire, while quality of life was estimated using the Short-Form 36 health survey (SF-36).

RESULTS

Approximately 42% of participants reported ongoing difficulties with noise and light sensitivity. Additionally, those reporting sensory difficulties also reported lower SF-36 domain and composite scores compared to those reporting no such symptoms. After controlling for known co-factors, hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that the combination of light and noise sensitivity explained between 8 and 35% of the variance in SF-36 scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Light and noise sensitivity appear to degrade the quality of life of those with a mild TBI. Our findings challenge contemporary rehabilitation practices that tend to sideline sensory complaints and instead focus on the remediation of acute TBI symptoms.

A profile of noise sensitivity on the health-related quality of life among young motorcyclists

Introduction:

Motorcycle riders with noise sensitivity (NS) may suffer from degraded health-related quality of life (HRQOL) because they are exposed to acute noise levels on a daily basis.

Materials and Methods:

This study was aimed to identify the relationship between NS and HRQOL among young motorcycle riders (undergraduate university students) aged between 19 and 25 years (n = 301) through a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study, that is, Weinstein noise sensitivity scale and the World Health Organization Quality of Life. The effects of NS on HRQOL were assessed based on gender, the years of motorcycle driving experience, and noise sensitive among groups using one-way analysis of variances with an alpha value of 0.05.

Results:

The results showed no significant difference in NS between males and females. On the other hand, motorcycle driving experience for <4 years displayed a higher tendency toward NS. Moreover, a significantly (P = 0.004) decreasing trend among low, moderate, and high NS with their respective HRQOL was observed, while a high NS showed significantly (P = 0.015) lower scores on the social domain of the quality of life.

Conclusion:

The overall premise of the study has statistical significance and shows that individuals with high NS tend to have degraded HRQOL compared to individuals with low NS. Furthermore, in-depth studies are required from the other demographical background of participants to investigate the motorcyclist’s NS and HRQOL as an integral requirement for the rider’s safety and health.

Music and Noise: Same or Different? What Our Body Tells Us

In this article, we consider music and noise in terms of vibrational and transferable energy as well as from the evolutionary significance of the hearing system of Homo sapiens. Music and sound impinge upon our body and our mind and we can react to both either positively or negatively. Much depends, in this regard, on the frequency spectrum and the level of the sound stimuli, which may sometimes make it possible to set music apart from noise. There are, however, two levels of description: the physical-acoustic description of the sound and the subjective-psychological reactions by the listeners. Starting from a vibrational approach to sound and music, we first investigate how sound may activate the sense of touch and the vestibular system of the inner ear besides the sense of hearing. We then touch upon distinct issues such as the relation between low-frequency sounds and annoyance, the harmful effect of loud sound and noise, the direct effects of overstimulation with sound, the indirect effects of unwanted sounds as related to auditory neurology, and the widespread phenomenon of liking loud sound and music, both from the point of view of behavioral and psychological aspects.

3-year noise monitoring and strategic noise mapping in an extended motorway

It is well known that the quality of the acoustic environment is very often degraded by major environmental interventions such as extended motorways. Considering this, the European Union has imposed relevant legislation on its member states to monitor these environmental changes/interventions and to develop strategic noise maps and action plans, in order to protect the natural and human environment. Egnatia Odos is a major motorway that crosses northern Greece and connects the country with the main European Motorway network. In the present work, the results of an extended traffic noise measuring campaign at selected sections of the Egnatia motorway are presented, together with the strategic noise maps and calculations of the population exposure. It was concluded that, although the noise levels in the countryside were low, in the suburban areas near the city of Thessaloniki the traffic noise was reported high during both the day and night. However, the extent of the traffic noise issue was found considerably greater during night-time. The number of exceedances was rather limited, though a considerable amount of population (11.5% and 5.4% during the day and night, respectively) seems to be affected by relatively high noise levels, highlighting the importance of traffic noise monitoring.

Use of Creative Writing to Develop a Semantic Differential Tool for Assessing Soundscapes

Exploring our understanding of soundscapes to understand why and how sound impacts people is important. The aim of this study was to develop a short quantitative questionnaire that would use terms generated by creative writers to assess people’s experiences of a soundscape. This process may provide different items for the questionnaire and thus, potentially, different dimensions or fuller definitions of dimensions that have already been identified. In the preliminary phase, a group of people identifying themselves as good writers listened to recordings of natural, traffic, and human sound environments and wrote about their impressions and responses to each. Qualitative analysis was used to extract themes from the writing. These themes were identified by key words, and scalar items were developed to form a short 17-item questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered to 228 people in Auckland City, New Zealand, with participants recruited from city streets and in a central-city park. Respondents were comfortable to use the questionnaire. Factor analysis revealed patterns of responding with five dimensions: Calming, Protecting, Hectic, Belonging, and Stability. There were correspondences between these and others previously reported in the literature, as well as differences. The use of items derived from creative writing provided interesting insights into the soundscape, including spirituality, the sense of time passing, and physical wellbeing. The park soundscape was measurably better than the street soundscapes on all dimensions, and streets with less vehicular traffic tended to be experienced as more Calming and Protecting, and less Hectic. This implies that there is validity in the scales generated. In future, it would be valuable to test the questionnaire in more varied environments, to add greater variability to the soundscapes.

Exposure to road traffic noise: Annoyance, perception and associated factors among Brazil's adult population

BACKGROUND

One of the major environmental problems of the modern world is noise. A health-related marker of environmental noise exposure that can be considered a predictor of annoyance is noise sensitivity. The aim of this study was to ascertain the correlation between levels of exposure to road traffic noise in residential areas and the resulting annoyance based on the perception and sensitivity reported.

METHODS

The study involved noise assessment, with the creation of noise maps of the neighborhood in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and application of a questionnaire to ascertain the perception of the residents of the neighborhood, regarding the effects of this exposure.

RESULTS

The noise levels at all the measured points were found to exceed the critical level for the area, 55 dB(A). A total of 225 interviews were conducted. Noise-related annoyance was reported by 48.4% of the respondents. Associations were observed between living in areas exposed to traffic noise and feeling annoyed with this noise (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest the importance of reviewing and updating Brazilian public policies regarding environmental noise. We found a high prevalence of annoyance reports, as well as aspects indicative of sensitivity to noise exposure.

WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Quality of Life, Wellbeing and Mental Health

This systematic review assesses the quality of the evidence across studies on the effect of environmental noise (road traffic noise, aircraft noise, railway noise, wind-turbine noise) on quality of life, wellbeing and mental health. Quantitative studies of noise effects on children and adults published from January 2005 up to October 2015 were reviewed. A total of 29 papers were identified. 90% of the papers were of cross-sectional design, with fewer studies of longitudinal or intervention design. Outcomes included depression and anxiety, medication use and childhood emotional problems. The quality of the evidence across the studies for each individual noise source was assessed using an adaptation of the GRADE methodology. Overall, given the predominance of cross-sectional studies, most evidence was rated as very low quality, with evidence of effects only being observed for some noise sources and outcomes. These ratings reflect inconsistent findings across studies, the small number of studies and a lack of methodological robustness within some domains. Overall, there are few studies of clinically significant mental health outcomes; few studies of railway noise exposure; and studies of large samples are needed. The lack of evidence for noise effects across studies for many of the quality of life, wellbeing and mental health domains examined does not necessarily mean that there are no effects: rather, that they have not yet been studied robustly for different noise sources.

Associations between Positive Health-Related Effects and Soundscapes Perceptual Constructs: A Systematic Review

In policy-making and research alike, environmental sounds are often considered only as psychophysical stressors, leading to adverse health effects. The soundscape approach, on the other hand, aims to extend the scope of sound-related research to consider sounds as resources, promoting healthy and supportive environments. The ISO 12913-1 standard defined soundscapes as acoustic environments "as perceived by people, in context." The aim of this study was assessing associations between positive soundscapes (e.g., pleasant, calm, less annoying) and positive health-related effects (e.g., increased restoration, reduced stress-inducing mechanisms, etc.). Studies collecting data about individual responses to urban acoustic environments, and individual responses on psychophysical well-being were selected, looking at cases where positive effects were observed. The Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed databases were searched for peer-reviewed journal papers published in English between 1 January 1991 and 31 May 2018, with combinations of the keywords "soundscape" and at least one among "health", "well-being" or "quality of life." An additional manual search was performed on the reference lists of the retrieved items. Inclusion criteria were: (1) including at least one measure of soundscape dimensions as per the ISO 12913-1 definition; (2) including at least one health-related measure (either physiological or psychological); (3) observing/discussing a "positive" effect of the soundscape on the health-related outcome. The search returned 130 results; after removing duplicates, two authors screened titles and abstracts and selected 19 papers for further analysis. Seven studies were eventually included, with 2783 participants in total. Each study included at least a valence-related soundscape measure. Regarding the health-related measures, four studies included physiological monitoring and the remaining three included self-reported psychological measures. Positive soundscapes were associated with faster stress-recovery processes in laboratory experiments, and better self-reported health conditions in large-scale surveys. Due to the limited number of items and differences in measures across studies, no statistical analysis was performed, and a qualitative approach to data synthesis was sought. Results support the claim that, in contrast with looking at noise only as an environmental stressor, sound perception can act as an enhancer of the human experience in the urban realm, from a health-related point of view.

Health-related quality of life is impacted by proximity to an airport in noise-sensitive people

INTRODUCTION

The aim of the study was to determine whether those who are noise sensitive are more adversely affected by airport noise than those who are not noise sensitive.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

One area was very close to Wellington International Airport and the other was distant from the airport and any other major sources of noise such as motorways and railways. Noise sensitivity was self-rated on a three-point scale as follows: non-noise sensitive, moderately noise sensitive, or highly noise sensitive. Statistical analysis consisted of analyses of variance using the domains of the WHOQOL score with the year, area (airport or the control), and noise sensitivity as covariates.

RESULTS

Noise-sensitive people were found to have a significantly poorer HRQOL than others when they lived near an airport, but not when they lived in the control area. The same effect was present at both of the time points investigated, suggesting that it is a general finding.

DISCUSSION

This finding is consistent with similar studies using the WHOQOL-BREF for investigating noise from road traffic, suggesting consistency in effect across transport noise sources.

A Multilevel Analysis of Perceived Noise Pollution, Geographic Contexts and Mental Health in Beijing

With rapid urbanization and increase in car ownership, ambient noise pollution resulting from diversified sources (e.g., road traffic, railway, commercial services) has become a severe environmental problem in the populated areas in China. However, research on the spatial variation of noise pollution and its potential effects on urban residents’ mental health has to date been quite scarce in developing countries like China. Using a health survey conducted in Beijing in 2017, we for the first time investigated the spatial distributions of multiple noise pollution perceived by residents in Beijing, including road traffic noise, railway (or subway) noise, commercial noise, and housing renovation (or construction) noise. Our results indicate that there is geographic variability in noise pollution at the neighborhood scale, and road traffic and housing renovation/construction are the principal sources of noise pollution in Beijing. We then employed Bayesian multilevel logistic models to examine the associations between diversified noise pollution and urban residents’ mental health symptoms, including anxiety, stress, fatigue, headache, and sleep disturbance, while controlling for a wide range of confounding factors such as socio-demographics, objective built environment characteristics, social environment and geographic context. The results show that perceived higher noise-pollution exposure is significantly associated with worse mental health, while physical environment variables seem to contribute little to variations in self-reported mental disorders, except for proximity to the main road. Social factors or socio-demographic attributes, such as age and income, are significant covariates of urban residents’ mental health, while the social environment (i.e., community attachment) and housing satisfaction are significantly correlated with anxiety and stress. This study provides empirical evidence on the noise-health relationships in the Chinese context and sheds light on the policy implications for environmental pollution mitigation and healthy city development in China.

Neighbouring green space and mortality in community-dwelling elderly Hong Kong Chinese: a cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Green space has been shown to be beneficial for human wellness through multiple pathways. This study aimed to explore the contributions of neighbouring green space to cause-specific mortality.

METHODS

Data from 3544 Chinese men and women (aged ≥65 years at baseline) in a community-based cohort study were analysed. Outcome measures, identified from the death registry, were death from all-cause, respiratory system disease, circulatory system disease. The quantity of green space (%) within a 300 m radius buffer was calculated for each subject from a map created based on the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index. Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for demographics, socioeconomics, lifestyle, health conditions and housing type were used to estimate the HRs and 95% CIs.

RESULTS

During a mean of 10.3 years of follow-up, 795 deaths were identified. Our findings showed that a 10% increase in coverage of green space was significantly associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality (HR 0.963, 95% CI 0.930 to 0.998), circulatory system-caused mortality (HR 0.887, 95% CI 0.817 to 0.963) and stroke-caused mortality (HR 0.661, 95% CI 0.524 to 0.835), independent of age, sex, marital status, years lived in Hong Kong, education level, socioeconomic ladder, smoking, alcohol intake, diet quality, self-rated health and housing type. The inverse associations between coverage of green space with all-cause mortality (HR 0.964, 95% CI 0.931 to 0.999) and circulatory system disease-caused mortality (HR 0.888, 95% CI 0.817 to 0.964) were attenuated when the models were further adjusted for physical activity and cognitive function. The effects of green space on all-cause and circulatory system-caused mortality tended to be stronger in females than in males.

CONCLUSION

Higher coverage of green space was associated with reduced risks of all-cause mortality, circulatory system-caused mortality and stroke-caused mortality in Chinese older people living in a highly urbanised city.

Environmental Noise Annoyance and Mental Health in Adults: Findings from the Cross-Sectional German Health Update (GEDA) Study 2012

The health implications of environmental noise, especially cardiovascular effects, have been studied intensively. Research on associations between noise and mental health, however, has shown contradictory results. The present study examined associations between individual levels of noise annoyance due to noise from various sources in the living environment and mental health of adults in Germany. It evaluated whether these associations persisted after adjusting for potential covariates. Data were obtained from the cross-sectional “German Health Update” study 2012 (GEDA 2012), a national health interview survey among adults in Germany conducted by the Robert Koch Institute (n = 19,294). Noise annoyance questions referred to overall noise and that from road traffic, neighbours, and air traffic. Mental health was measured with the five-item Mental Health Inventory. Bivariate analysis showed associations between high levels of noise annoyance and impaired mental health for all noise sources except air traffic. After adjusting for covariates (sociodemographic factors, chronic disease, and social support), both men and women who reported high overall noise annoyance showed more than doubled odds of impaired mental health compared to those who were not annoyed. The odds of impaired mental health in the highest noise annoyance category from road traffic and neighbours were also significantly increased. These findings indicate that high noise annoyance is associated with impaired mental health and that this association can vary with the source of environmental noise. Further research on covariates of this association is necessary. Particularly, longitudinal data are required to establish the direction of associations and to address questions of causality.

The Covariance between Air Pollution Annoyance and Noise Annoyance, and Its Relationship with Health-Related Quality of Life

Air pollution originating from road traffic is a known risk factor of respiratory and cardiovascular disease (both in terms of chronic and acute effects). While adverse effects on cardiovascular health have also been linked with noise (after controlling for air pollution), noise exposure has been commonly linked to sleep impairment and negative emotional reactions. Health is multi-faceted, both conceptually and operationally; Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) is one of many measures capable of probing health. In this study, we examine pre-collected data from postal surveys probing HRQOL obtained from a variety of urban, suburban, and rural contexts across the North Island of New Zealand. Analyses focus on the covariance between air pollution annoyance and noise annoyances, and their independent and combined effects on HRQOL. Results indicate that the highest ratings of air pollution annoyance and noise annoyances were for residents living close to the motorway, while the lowest were for rural residents. Most of the city samples indicated no significant difference between air pollution- and noise-annoyance ratings, and of all of the correlations between air pollution- and noise-annoyance, the highest were found in the city samples. These findings suggest that annoyance is driven by exposure to environmental factors and not personality characteristics. Analysis of HRQOL indicated that air pollution annoyance predicts greater variability in the physical HRQOL domain while noise annoyance predicts greater variability in the psychological, social and environmental domains. The lack of an interaction effect between air pollution annoyance and noise annoyance suggests that air pollution and noise impact on health independently. These results echo those obtained from objective measures of health and suggest that mitigation of traffic effects should address both air and noise pollution.

An assessment of quality of life using the WHOQOL-BREF among participants living in the vicinity of wind turbines

Living within the vicinity of wind turbines may have adverse impacts on health measures associated with quality of life (QOL). There are few studies in this area and inconsistent findings preclude definitive conclusions regarding the impact that exposure to wind turbine noise (WTN) may have on QOL. In the current study (officially titled the Community Noise and Health Study or CNHS), the World Health Organization QOL-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire provided an evaluation of QOL in relation to WTN levels among randomly selected participants aged 18-79 (606 males, 632 females) living between 0.25 and 11.22 km from wind turbines (response rate 78.9%). In the multiple regression analyses, WTN levels were not found to be related to scores on the Physical, Psychological, Social or Environment domains, or to rated QOL and Satisfaction with Health questions. However, some wind turbine-related variables were associated with scores on the WHOQOL-BREF, irrespective of WTN levels. Hearing wind turbines for less than one year (compared to not at all and greater than one year) was associated with improved (i.e. higher) scores on the Psychological domain (p=0.0108). Lower scores on both the Physical and Environment domains (p=0.0218 and p=0.0372, respectively), were observed among participants reporting high visual annoyance toward wind turbines. Personal benefit from having wind turbines in the area was related to higher scores on the Physical domain (p=0.0417). Other variables significantly related to one or more domains, included sex, age, marital status, employment, education, income, alcohol consumption, smoking status, chronic diseases and sleep disorders. Collectively, results do not support an association between exposure to WTN up to 46 dBA and QOL assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire.

Living environment matters: relationships between neighborhood characteristics and health of the residents in a Dutch municipality

Characteristics of an individual alone cannot exhaustively explain all the causes of poor health, and neighborhood of residence have been suggested to be one of the factors that contribute to health. However, knowledge about aspects of the neighborhood that are most important to health is limited. The main objective of this study was to explore associations between certain features of neighborhood environment and self-rated health and depressive symptoms in Maastricht (The Netherlands). A large amount of routinely collected neighborhood data were aggregated by means of factor analysis to 18 characteristics of neighborhood social and physical environment. Associations between these characteristics and self-rated health and presence of depressive symptoms were further explored in multilevel logistic regression models adjusted for individual demographic and socio-economic factors. The study sample consisted of 9,879 residents (mean age 55 years, 48 % male). Residents of unsafe communities were less likely to report good health (OR 0.88 95 % CI 0.80-0.97) and depressive symptoms (OR 0.81 95 % CI 0.69-0.97), and less cohesive environment was related to worse self-rated health (OR 0.81 95 % CI 0.72-0.92). Residents of neighborhoods with more car traffic nuisance and more disturbance from railway noise reported worse mental health (OR 0.79 95 % CI 0.68-0.92 and 0.85 95 % CI 0.73-0.99, respectively). We did not observe any association between health and quality of parking and shopping facilities, facilities for public or private transport, neighborhood aesthetics, green space, industrial nuisance, sewerage, neighbor nuisance or satisfaction with police performance. Our findings can be used to support development of integrated health policies targeting broader determinants of health. Improving safety, social cohesion and decreasing traffic nuisance in disadvantaged neighborhoods might be a promising way to improve the health of residents and reduce health inequalities.

Development of a quantitative methodology to assess the impacts of urban transport interventions and related noise on well-being

Well-being impact assessments of urban interventions are a difficult challenge, as there is no agreed methodology and scarce evidence on the relationship between environmental conditions and well-being. The European Union (EU) project “Urban Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China and Europe” (URGENCHE) explored a methodological approach to assess traffic noise-related well-being impacts of transport interventions in three European cities (Basel, Rotterdam and Thessaloniki) linking modeled traffic noise reduction effects with survey data indicating noise-well-being associations. Local noise models showed a reduction of high traffic noise levels in all cities as a result of different urban interventions. Survey data indicated that perception of high noise levels was associated with lower probability of well-being. Connecting the local noise exposure profiles with the noise-well-being associations suggests that the urban transport interventions may have a marginal but positive effect on population well-being. This paper also provides insight into the methodological challenges of well-being assessments and highlights the range of limitations arising from the current lack of reliable evidence on environmental conditions and well-being. Due to these limitations, the results should be interpreted with caution.

ICBEN review of research on the biological effects of noise 2011-2014

The mandate of the International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise (ICBEN) is to promote a high level of scientific research concerning all aspects of noise-induced effects on human beings and animals. In this review, ICBEN team chairs and co-chairs summarize relevant findings, publications, developments, and policies related to the biological effects of noise, with a focus on the period 2011-2014 and for the following topics: Noise-induced hearing loss; nonauditory effects of noise; effects of noise on performance and behavior; effects of noise on sleep; community response to noise; and interactions with other agents and contextual factors. Occupational settings and transport have been identified as the most prominent sources of noise that affect health. These reviews demonstrate that noise is a prevalent and often underestimated threat for both auditory and nonauditory health and that strategies for the prevention of noise and its associated negative health consequences are needed to promote public health.

The negative affect hypothesis of noise sensitivity

Some studies indicate that noise sensitivity is explained by negative affect, a dispositional tendency to negatively evaluate situations and the self. Individuals high in such traits may report a greater sensitivity to other sensory stimuli, such as smell, bright light and pain. However, research investigating the relationship between noise sensitivity and sensitivity to stimuli associated with other sensory modalities has not always supported the notion of a common underlying trait, such as negative affect, driving them. Additionally, other explanations of noise sensitivity based on cognitive processes have existed in the clinical literature for over 50 years. Here, we report on secondary analyses of pre-existing laboratory (n = 74) and epidemiological (n = 1005) data focusing on the relationship between noise sensitivity to and annoyance with a variety of olfactory-related stimuli. In the first study a correlational design examined the relationships between noise sensitivity, noise annoyance, and perceptual ratings of 16 odors. The second study sought differences between mean noise and air pollution annoyance scores across noise sensitivity categories. Results from both analyses failed to support the notion that, by itself, negative affectivity explains sensitivity to noise.

Residential exposure to traffic noise and health-related quality of life--a population-based study

Background

Few studies have investigated the association between objectively measured traffic noise and health-related quality of life. However, as traffic noise has been associated with both cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and health-issues including sleeping problems, annoyance, and stress, it seems plausible that traffic noise is associated with health-related quality of life.

Methods

Between 1999 and 2002, a cohort of 38,964 Danes filled in the short form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Residential exposure to road traffic and railway noise was calculated for all historical addresses for 10 years preceding the SF-36, using the Nordic prediction method. Associations between noise exposure and SF-36 summary scales and the eight sub-scales were calculated using general linear models, adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle.

Results

Models adjusted for age, sex and socioeconomic factors showed that a 10 dB higher road traffic noise 1 year preceding SF-36 assessment was associated with a 0.14 lower mental component summary (MCS) score (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.26, -0.01). However, further adjustment for lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol, and waist circumference) attenuated the association: (-0.08 (95% CI: -0.20, 0.04)). Exposure to more than 55 dB of railway noise in the same time period was borderline significantly associated with lower MCS. The physical component summary was not associated with traffic noise.

Conclusion

The present study suggests a weak association between traffic noise exposure and the mental health component score of SF-36, which may operate through lifestyle. The magnitude of effect was, however, not clinically relevant.

Field study on the impact of nocturnal road traffic noise on sleep: the importance of in- and outdoor noise assessment, the bedroom location and nighttime noise disturbances

The aim of this field study is to gain more insight into the way nocturnal road traffic noise impacts the sleep of inhabitants living in noisy regions, by taking into account several modifying variables. Participants were tested during five consecutive nights in their homes and comparisons between effective indoor and outdoor noise levels (LAeq, LAmax, number of noise events), sleep (actigraphy and sleep logs) and aspects of well-being (questionnaires) were made. Also, we investigated into what extent nocturnal noise exposure - objectively measured as well as perceived - directly relates to sleep outcomes and how the bedroom location influenced our measurements. We found that subjects living and sleeping in noisy regions correctly perceive their environment in terms of noise exposure and reported an overall discomfort due to traffic noise. In the evaluation of the objective noise levels, the inside noise levels did not follow the outside noise levels, though the different noise patterns could be described as characteristic for a noise and quiet environment. The impact on sleep, however, was only modest and we did not find any influence of noise intrusion on mood or pre-sleep arousal levels. Concerning the subjectively reported noise disturbances during the night, a clear relationship between noise and sleep outcomes could be established; with sleep onset latencies and judged sleep quality being particularly affected. The importance of inside and outside noise assessment as well as the use of multiple noise indicators in a home environment is further described. Additional emphasis is put on the determination of quiet control regions and the bedroom location, as this can alter noise levels and sleep outcomes. Also, including subjective noise evaluations during the night might not only provide crucial information on how participants experience the noise, but also allows for a more qualitative interpretation of the actual noise situation.

Quiet as an environmental value: a contrast between two legislative approaches

This paper examines the concept of “quiet” as an “environmental value” in terms of amenity and wellbeing from a legislative context. Critical review of two pieces of environmental legislation from Australia and New Zealand forms the basis of the paper. The Australian legislation is Queensland’s Environmental Protection Act, and the New Zealand legislation is that nation’s Resource Management Act. Quiet is part of the psychoacoustic continuum between a tranquil and an intrusively noisy sound environment. As such, quiet possesses intrinsic value in terms of overall sound within the environment (soundscape) and to individuals and communities. In both pieces of legislation, guidance, either directly or indirectly, is given to “maximum” sound levels to describe the acoustic environment. Only in Queensland is wellbeing and amenity described as environmental values, while in the New Zealand approach, amenity is identified as the core value to defend, but guidance is not well established. Wellbeing can be related to degrees of quietness and the absence of intrusive noise, the character of sound within an environment (“soundscape”), as well as the overall level of sound. The quality of life experienced by individuals is related to that person’s physical and mental health, sense of amenity and wellbeing. These characteristics can be described in terms of subjective and objective measures, though legislation does not always acknowledge the subjective.

Do quiet areas afford greater health-related quality of life than noisy areas?

People typically choose to live in quiet areas in order to safeguard their health and wellbeing. However, the benefits of living in quiet areas are relatively understudied compared to the burdens associated with living in noisy areas. Additionally, research is increasingly focusing on the relationship between the human response to noise and measures of health and wellbeing, complementing traditional dose-response approaches, and further elucidating the impact of noise and health by incorporating human factors as mediators and moderators. To further explore the benefits of living in quiet areas, we compared the results of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaire datasets collected from households in localities differentiated by their soundscapes and population density: noisy city, quiet city, quiet rural, and noisy rural. The dose-response relationships between noise annoyance and HRQOL measures indicated an inverse relationship between the two. Additionally, quiet areas were found to have higher mean HRQOL domain scores than noisy areas. This research further supports the protection of quiet locales and ongoing noise abatement in noisy areas.