Noise Indicators Relating to Non-Auditory Health Effects in Children-A Systematic Literature Review

Impact of nocturnal road traffic noise and annoyance on self-reported insomnia symptoms: policy intervention in noise-polluted environments

Chronic exposure to traffic noise is associated with increased stress and sleep disruptions. Research on the health consequences of environmental noise, specifically traffic noise, has primarily been conducted in high-income countries (HICs), which have guided the development of noise regulations. The relevance of these findings to policy frameworks in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains uncertain. To investigate the relationship between road traffic noise exposure and annoyance on insomnia symptoms, a questionnaire survey was administered to 5408 randomly selected participants residing in Srinagar, India. Sleep quality was assessed using a standardized sleep disturbance score, along with self-reported annoyance levels related to road traffic noise at the participants' residences. Nighttime road traffic noise was modeled using Sound PLAN 8.2 software to generate noise contour maps, enabling the spatial evaluation of noise levels along roadways near residential areas. A total of 79.3% of the 5408 respondents were exposed to noise levels exceeding 45 Lnight dB(A). Statistically significant associations were observed between traffic noise exposure and all insomnia symptoms, with difficulty falling asleep showing the strongest association (OR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.12-2.09) within the study sample. Compared to males, females exhibited higher insomnia symptoms (OR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.35-2.08). The results indicated that insomnia was strongly correlated with an increased odds of traffic noise annoyance (OR = 2.39; 95% CI = 1.73-3.76) (p = 0.029). Finally, this study advocates for a robust regulatory framework to incorporate noise pollution mitigation strategies into the public health action plans of developing nations.

Sense of control and noise sensitivity affect frustration from interfering noise

In order to develop effective strategies to address noise annoyance, it is essential to develop an explanatory model of the psychological mechanism(s) by which noise becomes annoying. Two online studies were conducted in which a total of 193 participants completed speech perception tasks with varying degrees of background noise. Signal-to-noise ratio levels ranged from -2 to -10 dB. The crucial manipulation in both experiments concerned participants' sense of control over the noise level in the task. Dependent measures were task performance, a self-reported measure of frustration with the task, and self-reported sensitivity (trait) to noise. Results showed small but significant effects of noise sensitivity and sense of control on subjective frustration. In both experiments, more noise-sensitive individuals expressed greater frustration than did those reporting less noise sensitivity. In addition, in experiment 2 there was a significant interaction between sense of control and noise level. Listeners under the higher noise-level conditions expressed relatively similar degrees of frustration irrespective of their sense of control, while those under the lower noise-level condition showed lower frustration with greater sense of control. Results support Stallen's [(1999). Noise Health 1(3), 69-79] theoretical framework of noise annoyance, but also suggest the need for further research under more ecologically plausible conditions.

Association between residential exposure to road traffic noise and cognitive and motor function outcomes in children and preadolescents

BACKGROUND

Exposure to environmental noise is increasing in recent years but most of the previous literature in children has evaluated the effect of aircraft noise exposure at schools on cognition.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether residential exposure to road traffic noise during pregnancy and childhood is associated with cognitive and motor function in children and preadolescents.

METHODS

The study involved 619 participants from the Spanish INMA-Sabadell cohort and 7,115 from the Dutch Generation R Study. We used noise maps to estimate the average day-evening-night road traffic noise levels at each participant's residential address during pregnancy and childhood periods. Validated tests were administered throughout childhood in both cohorts to assess non-verbal and verbal intelligence, memory, processing speed, attentional function, working memory, cognitive flexibility, risky decision-making, and fine and gross motor function. Linear models, linear mixed models, and negative binomial models were run depending on the outcome in cohort-specific analysis and combined with a random-effects meta-analysis. All models were adjusted for several socioeconomic and lifestyle variables and results corrected for multiple testing.

RESULTS

Average road traffic noise exposure levels during pregnancy and childhood were 61.3 (SD 6.0) and 61.5 (SD 5.4) dB for the INMA-Sabadell cohort and 54.6 (SD 7.9) and 53.5 (SD 6.5) dB for the Generation R Study, respectively. Road traffic noise exposure during pregnancy and childhood was not related to any of the cognitive and motor function outcomes examined in this study (e.g. -0.92 (95 % CI -2.08; 0.24) and 0.20 (95 % CI -0.96; 1.35) in overall estimates of memory and fine motor function, respectively, when road traffic noise increases by 10 dB during childhood).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that child's cognitive or motor functions are not affected by residential exposure to road traffic noise. However, more studies evaluating this association at school and home settings as well as noise events are needed.