1
|
Nuvey FS, Haydon DT, Hattendorf J, Addo KK, Mensah GI, Fink G, Zinsstag J, Bonfoh B. Relationship between animal health and livestock farmers' wellbeing in Ghana: beyond zoonoses. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1353. [PMID: 37452274 PMCID: PMC10347735 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16287-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Livestock production is a key livelihood source for many people in developing countries. Poor control of livestock diseases hamper livestock productivity, threatening farmers' wellbeing and food security. This study estimates the effect of livestock mortalities attributable to disease on the wellbeing of livestock farmers. METHODS Overall, 350 ruminant livestock farmers were randomly selected from three districts located in the north, middle and southern belts of Ghana. Mixed-effect linear regression models were used to estimate the relationship between animal health and farmer wellbeing. Farmer wellbeing was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF tool, as the mean quality-of-life in four domains (physical, psychological, social, and environmental). Animal health was assessed as annual livestock mortalities to diseases adjusted for herd size, and standardized in tropical livestock units to account for different ruminant livestock species. We adjusted for the potential confounding effect of farmers' age, sex, educational attainment, farmland size, socio-economic status, perception of disease risk to herd, satisfaction with health, previous experience of disease outbreaks in herds, and social support availability by including these as fixed effects, and community as random effects, in a pre-specified model. RESULTS Our results showed that farmers had a median score of 65.5 out of 100 (IQR: 56.6 to 73.2) on the wellbeing scale. The farmers' reported on average (median) 10% (IQR: 0 to 23) annual herd mortalities to diseases. There was a significantly negative relationship between increasing level of animal disease-induced mortality in herds and farmers' wellbeing. Specifically, our model predicted an expected difference in farmers' wellbeing score of 7.9 (95%CI 1.50 to 14.39) between a farmer without any herd mortalities to diseases compared to a (hypothetical) farmer with 100% of herd mortalities caused by diseases in a farming year. Thus, there is a reduction of approximately 0.8 wellbeing points of farmers, for the average of 10% disease-induced herd mortalities experienced. CONCLUSIONS Disease-induced livestock mortalities have a significant negative effect on farmers' wellbeing, particularly in the physical and psychological domains. This suggests that veterinary service policies addressing disease risks in livestock, could contribute to improving the wellbeing of livestock dependent populations, and public food security.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francis Sena Nuvey
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, Allschwil, 4123, Switzerland.
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 61, Basel, 4056, Switzerland.
- Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, BP, 1303, Côte d'Ivoire.
| | - Daniel T Haydon
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Scotland
| | - Jan Hattendorf
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, Allschwil, 4123, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, Basel, 4056, Switzerland
| | - Kennedy Kwasi Addo
- Department of Bacteriology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 581, Accra, Ghana
| | - Gloria Ivy Mensah
- Department of Bacteriology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 581, Accra, Ghana
| | - Günther Fink
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, Allschwil, 4123, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, Basel, 4056, Switzerland
| | - Jakob Zinsstag
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, Allschwil, 4123, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, Basel, 4056, Switzerland
| | - Bassirou Bonfoh
- Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, BP, 1303, Côte d'Ivoire
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Alseminy MAMM, Chandrasekaran B, Bairapareddy KC. Association of Physical Activity and Quality of Life with Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in the UAE Young Adults. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10040625. [PMID: 35455803 PMCID: PMC9028778 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10040625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) pose threat to the global economy and work productivity. Though growing evidence shows physical activity and quality of life are major determinants for WRMSDs, the association between physical activity and the quality of life among the young adults of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) remains unclear. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, a total of 507 young adults who were between the ages 18–35 years were administered an interviewer-based survey on musculoskeletal disorders, physical activity, and quality of life. The association between the potential determinants and the WRMSDs was analyzed using linear and logistic regression models. Results: High prevalence (75%) of WRMSDs was found among the UAE young adults. Participants with low leisure-time physical activity had few WRMSDs. There was no significant association between physical activity or quality-of-life scores with the incidence of WRMSDs although physical activity time was highly associated with the quality of life, especially the social domain. Conclusion: Though a high prevalence of WRMSDs among UAE men and women was found, neither physical activity nor the quality-of-life scores determined the incidence of WRMSDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Baskaran Chandrasekaran
- Department of Exercise Science & Sports, Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India;
| | - Kalyana Chakravarthy Bairapareddy
- Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates;
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Pasangha E, George B, Bhuvana KB, Padmini D. Predictors of Pharmacotherapy and Quality of Life Among Patients With Diabetic Foot Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study from a Tertiary Care Hospital in India. J Pharmacol Pharmacother 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/0976500x221080291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To assess the patterns and predictors of pharmacotherapy and QOL in DFS patients in an Indian tertiary care hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among inpatients with DFS. Data on sociodemographic and clinical factors, pharmacotherapy, clinical outcomes, and QOL were analyzed using the chi-squared test, independent sample t-test, and binary logistic regression. Results: We screened 3284 inpatients and included consecutive 87 (2.7%) DFS patients. The mean age was 56.08 ± 11.05 years, with a male preponderance (75.8%). Mean HbA1c was 9.9 ± 2.483. About 75% of patients received insulin, and polypharmacy was noticed in 82.7%. About 67.8% of DFS patients had other vascular complications of diabetes, with diabetic retinopathy being the most common in 89%. Amputations were noticed in 32.1% of patients. Overall, poor QOL was seen in 79.3% of patients. The mean scores for different domains were as follows: physical, 41.51 ± 14.15; psychological, 42.90 ± 11.16; social relationships, 43.06 ± 19.36; and environment, 47.17 ± 13. The presence of complications from diabetes was a significant predictor of the utilization of antihypertensives (OR: 2.92, CI [1.09, 7.79], P = 0.03) and poor QOL (OR: 4.54, CI [0.965, 21.41], P = 0.05). Conclusion: DFS patients in this study were found to be younger with poor glycemic control and other vascular complications of diabetes. The presence of other complications of diabetes in DFS patients was found to be a predictor of pharmacotherapy and poor QOL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E. Pasangha
- St. John’s Medical College, Sarjapur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - B. George
- Department of Endocrinology, St. Johns Medical College, Sarjapur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - K. B. Bhuvana
- Department of Pharmacology, St. Johns Medical College, Sarjapur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - D. Padmini
- Department of Pharmacology, St. Johns Medical College, Sarjapur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jaradat D, Ford-Gilboe M, Berman H, Wong C. Structural and construct validity of the Quality of Life Scale among Canadian women with histories of intimate partner violence. Womens Health (Lond) 2022; 18:17455057221125574. [PMID: 36165206 PMCID: PMC9520177 DOI: 10.1177/17455057221125574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the structural and construct validity, and internal consistency of the Quality of Life Scale among Canadian women with histories of intimate partner violence. METHODS Consistent with COSMIN Guidelines, a secondary analysis was conducted using data from a community sample of 250 adult (over 18 years) Canadian women with histories of partner violence and who participated in Wave 5 of the longitudinal Women's Health Effects Study. Data were collected 4 years after baseline using structured interviews that included the Quality of Life Scale and two mental symptom scales (Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale and Davidson Trauma Scale) used to assess construct validity of the Quality of Life Scale. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analysis in MPLUS 8 with maximum likelihood estimation supported the hypothesized unidimensional structure of the 9-item Quality of Life Scale based on acceptable fit indices. Internal consistency, estimated using Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability, were .91 and .92, respectively, with item-total correlations ranging from .46 to .84. Inter-item correlation coefficients (range = .30-.79), suggesting that all items contribute to the total score. As hypothesized, the quality of life total score was negatively related to the total scores on both the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (r = -.739) and Davidson Trauma Scale (r = -.537), providing evidence of construct validity of the Quality of Life Scale. CONCLUSION The Quality of Life Scale is a brief, reliable, valid, unidimensional self-report measure appropriate for use with women who have experienced partner violence. By addressing an important measurement gap, results of this study have potential to advance research on women's quality of life in the context of partner violence, including improving the evaluation of a growing body of advocacy and health interventions designed to support women's healing and well-being.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana Jaradat
- Department of Community and Mental Health Nursing, Jordan University of Science & Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Marilyn Ford-Gilboe
- Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Helene Berman
- Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Carol Wong
- Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wolan-Nieroda A, Maciejczak A, Drużbicki M, Guzik A. Determinants of health-related quality of life in patients with fracture of the axis vertebrae. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19075. [PMID: 34561492 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98476-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The study is designed to evaluate quality of life and functional performance in patients with type II and III odontoid fracture treated with anterior odontoid screw fixation. We investigated the relationship between quality of life and: (1) the range of axial rotation of the cervical spine, (2) neck pain intensity, and (3) level of disability in these patients. The study involved 60 patients operated on for type II and III fractures with the use of direct osteosynthesis of the dens. Quality of life and functional performance were assessed using SF-36 Questionnaire and Neck Disability Index (NDI). The range of axial rotation was examined with the use of the Zebris ultrasound system while the intensity of pain with the use of the VAS Visual Analog Pain Scale. The subjects’ quality of life was poorer with respect to the mental dimension (32.3%) compared to the physical dimension (22.7%). Based on the NDI survey, the rate representing the patients’ functioning in daily life amounted to 13.7% which reflects mild limitations in functional abilities. It was shown that the range of axial rotation (both to the right and the left) was not related to the degree of disability of patients as measured by the NDI questionnaire. The model of regression was statistically significant for overall quality of life (F = 48.24 p < 0.001), as well as physical dimension (F = 45.1 p < 0.001). Quality of life indicators in SF-36 are decreased in patients operated for type II and III odontoid fracture and the mental dimension of the quality of life is significantly poorer than the physical one. More than half of the patients operated for type II and III odontoid fracture regained normal functioning, as assessed with the NDI questionnaire.
Collapse
|
6
|
Yaseen M, Jarullah FA, Yaqoob S, Shakeel HA, Maqsood H, Naveed S. Association of quality of life, anxiety, and depression with restless leg syndrome in the hemodialysis patients. BMC Res Notes 2021; 14:284. [PMID: 34301316 PMCID: PMC8306279 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-021-05701-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is commonly known to cause morbidity in patients on hemodialysis, making them prone to chronic mental health illnesses such as depression and anxiety, and also adversely impact quality of life. In this study, we examined the association of quality of life, anxiety, and depression with restless leg syndrome in the hemodialysis patients at Karachi Institute of Kidney Diseases. RESULTS About 26.7% of the participants reported RLS among the sample size Presence of RLS was not associated with quality of life, depression, and anxiety. However, p-values < 0.05 were significant for body-mass index (BMI), diabetes mellitus as a cause of end-stage renal disease, and serum albumin levels. Majority (82.5%) of the RLS-diagnosed patients had moderate to severe symptoms with 16 (40%) and 17 (42.5%) clients, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sadia Yaqoob
- Jinnah Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Turunen AW, Tiittanen P, Yli-Tuomi T, Taimisto P, Lanki T. Self-reported health in the vicinity of five wind power production areas in Finland. Environ Int 2021; 151:106419. [PMID: 33706126 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In many countries, some people living in the vicinity of wind power production areas report having symptoms that they intuitively associate with wind turbines. Recently public discussions have focused especially on wind turbine infrasound. However, scientific evidence supporting an association is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the association between exposure to wind turbines and the prevalence of self-reported symptoms, diseases and medications. A cross-sectional questionnaire study (n = 2,828) was conducted in the vicinity of five wind power production areas in Finland in 2015-2016. Each area had 3-16 turbines with a nominal power of 2.4-3.3 MW. The response rate was 50% (n = 1,411). Continuous and categorised (≤ 2.5, > 2.5-5, > 5-10 km) distance between the respondents' home and the closest wind turbine was used to represent exposure to wind turbines. Wind turbine sound pressure level outdoors could be reliably modelled only for the closest distance zone where the yearly average was 34 dB and maximum 43 dB. The data on symptoms (headache, nausea, dizziness, tinnitus, ear fullness, arrhythmia, fatigue, difficulties in falling asleep, waking up too early, anxiety, stress), diseases (hypertension, heart insufficiency, diabetes), and medications (analgesics for headache, joint/muscle pain and other pain, and medication for sleep disturbance, anxiety and depression, and hypertension) was obtained from the questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were adjusted for age, sex, marital status, education, work situation, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, body mass index, and hearing problems. Annoyance and sleep disturbance due to wind turbine noise were inversely associated with the distance to the closest wind turbine. The prevalence of symptoms, diseases and medications was essentially the same in all distance categories. In multivariate regression modelling, the odds ratio estimates were generally close to unity and statistically non-significant. Beyond annoyance and sleep disturbance, there were no consistent associations between exposure to wind turbines and self-reported health problems. The results do not support the hypothesis that broadband sound or infrasound from wind turbines could cause the proposed health problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anu W Turunen
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 95, FI-70100 Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Pekka Tiittanen
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 95, FI-70100 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tarja Yli-Tuomi
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 95, FI-70100 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Pekka Taimisto
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 95, FI-70100 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Timo Lanki
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 95, FI-70100 Kuopio, Finland; Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland; School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Aminde JA, Aminde LN, Bija MD, Lekpa FK, Kwedi FM, Yenshu EV, Chichom AM. Health-related quality of life and its determinants in patients with chronic low back pain at a tertiary hospital in Cameroon: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e035445. [PMID: 33028543 PMCID: PMC7539580 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its determinants in chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients in Cameroon. DESIGN Observational cross-sectional study. SETTING Tertiary hospital. PARTICIPANTS There were 150 eligible adults with low back pain of at least 12 weeks who provided informed consent. Of these, 136 with complete questionnaires were analysed. OUTCOMES HRQoL was measured using the WHO Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Outcome measures included its four domain (physical health, psychological, social relationships and environmental) scores and two independent scores for overall quality of life (OQOL) and general health satisfaction (GH). RESULTS Participants had a median age of 52 years, and median pain duration of 33 (IQR: 69) months. The median OQOL score was 50 (IQR: 25). After multivariable adjustment, tertiary education (β=11.43, 95% CI 3.12 to 19.75), age (β=0.49, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.87) and being a student (β=23.07, 95% CI 0.28 to 45.86) contributed to better OQOL. Age (β=0.57, 95% CI 0.10 to 1.04) and physical-type employment (β=-14.57, 95% CI -25.83 to -3.31) affected GH. Smoking (β=-20.49, 95% CI -35.49 to -5.48) and radiological anomalies (β=-7.57, 95% CI -14.64 to -0.49) affected the physical health domain, while disability (β=-0.67, 95% CI -1.14 to -0.20) and duration of pain (β=-0.13, 95% CI -0.20 to -0.05) affected the psychological domain. Income (β=14.94, 95% CI 4.06 to 25.81) affected the social domain, while education (β=9.96, 95% CI 1.41 to 18.50) and disability (β=-0.75, 95% CI -1.26 to -0.24) affected the environmental domain. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that CLBP affects HRQoL and multiple socioeconomic and clinical factors influence its impact on different domains of HRQoL. Multipronged management programmes, especially those that reduce disability, could improve HRQoL in patients with CLBP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeannine Anyingu Aminde
- Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Service, Bamenda, Cameroon
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Leopold Ndemnge Aminde
- School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Non-communicable diseases Unit, Clinical Research Education, Networking & Consultancy (CRENC), Douala, Cameroon
| | - Marie Doualla Bija
- Rheumatology Unit, Douala General Hospital, Douala, Cameroon
- Department of Internal Medicine & Specialties, Faculty of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Clark C, Crumpler C, Notley H. Evidence for Environmental Noise Effects on Health for the United Kingdom Policy Context: A Systematic Review of the Effects of Environmental Noise on Mental Health, Wellbeing, Quality of Life, Cancer, Dementia, Birth, Reproductive Outcomes, and Cognition. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:E393. [PMID: 31936110 PMCID: PMC7013411 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17020393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
This systematic review commissioned by the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), considers how the evidence base for noise effects on health has changed following the recent reviews undertaken for the WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines. This systematic review assesses the quality of the evidence for environmental noise effects on mental health, wellbeing, and quality of life; birth and reproductive outcomes; and cognition for papers published since the WHO reviews (mid-2015 to March 2019), as well as for cancer and dementia (January 2014 to March 2019). Using the GRADE methodology (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) most evidence was rated as low quality as opposed to very low quality in the previous reviews. There is now low-quality evidence for a harmful effect of road traffic noise on medication use and interview measures of depression and anxiety and low quality evidence for a harmful effect of road traffic noise, aircraft noise, and railway noise on some cancer outcomes. Many other conclusions from the WHO evidence reviews remain unchanged. The conclusions remain limited by the low number of studies for many outcomes. The quantification of health effects for other noise sources including wind turbine, neighbour, industrial, and combined noise remains a research priority.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Clark
- Acoustics, Ove Arup & Partners, 13 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 4BQ, UK
| | - Clare Crumpler
- Acoustics, Ove Arup & Partners, 13 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 4BQ, UK
| | - Hilary Notley
- UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Ground Floor, Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF, UK;
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Poulsen AH, Raaschou-Nielsen O, Peña A, Hahmann AN, Nordsborg RB, Ketzel M, Brandt J, Sørensen M. Impact of Long-Term Exposure to Wind Turbine Noise on Redemption of Sleep Medication and Antidepressants: A Nationwide Cohort Study. Environ Health Perspect 2019; 127:37005. [PMID: 30864815 PMCID: PMC6768316 DOI: 10.1289/ehp3909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Noise from wind turbines (WTs) is associated with annoyance and, potentially, sleep disturbances. OBJECTIVES Our objective was to investigate whether long-term WT noise (WTN) exposure is associated with the redemption of prescriptions for sleep medication and antidepressants. METHODS For all Danish dwellings within a radius of [Formula: see text] heights and for 25% of randomly selected dwellings within a radius of [Formula: see text] heights, we estimated nighttime outdoor and low-frequency (LF) indoor WTN, using information on WT type and simulated hourly wind. During follow-up from 1996 to 2013, 68,696 adults redeemed sleep medication and 82,373 redeemed antidepressants, from eligible populations of 583,968 and 584,891, respectively. We used Poisson regression with adjustment for individual and area-level covariates. RESULTS Five-year mean outdoor nighttime WTN of [Formula: see text] was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) = 1.14 [95% confidence interval (CI]: 0.98, 1.33) for sleep medication and HR = 1.17 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.35) for antidepressants (compared with exposure to WTN of [Formula: see text]). We found no overall association with indoor nighttime LF WTN. In age-stratified analyses, the association with outdoor nighttime WTN was strongest among persons [Formula: see text] of age, with HRs (95% CIs) for the highest exposure group ([Formula: see text]) of 1.68 (1.27, 2.21) for sleep medication and 1.23 (0.90, 1.69) for antidepressants. For indoor nighttime LF WTN, the HRs (95% CIs) among persons [Formula: see text] of age exposed to [Formula: see text] were 1.37 (0.81, 2.31) for sleep medication and 1.34 (0.80, 2.22) for antidepressants. CONCLUSIONS We observed high levels of outdoor WTN to be associated with redemption of sleep medication and antidepressants among the elderly, suggesting that WTN may potentially be associated with sleep and mental health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3909.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aslak Harbo Poulsen
- Diet, Genes and Environment, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ole Raaschou-Nielsen
- Diet, Genes and Environment, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Alfredo Peña
- DTU Wind Energy, Department of Wind Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Andrea N. Hahmann
- DTU Wind Energy, Department of Wind Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - Matthias Ketzel
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Global Center for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Jørgen Brandt
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Mette Sørensen
- Diet, Genes and Environment, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Natural Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Freiberg A, Schefter C, Girbig M, Murta VC, Seidler A. Health effects of wind turbines on humans in residential settings: Results of a scoping review. Environ Res 2019; 169:446-463. [PMID: 30530085 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION As the global number of wind turbines has increased steadily in recent years, as has the number of studies about putative health effects in residential settings, it is the review purpose to give an overview of the characteristics and methodologies of the scientific literature around the topic in order to identify research gaps and to derive implications for research and practice. Additionally, study findings from higher-quality observational studies as well as results that seem to be of interest for the scientific and political debate are presented. METHODS The scoping review was conducted following systematic review methods. Comprehensive literature searches were carried out in several databases, and with extensive hand searches. All review steps were carried out in parallel by two reviewers or by one reviewer and in duplicate checked by another reviewer. The following important methodological criteria were investigated: Reporting, ethical aspects, generalization, selection bias, information bias, confounder bias. Findings from observational studies without a selection bias, information bias, and confounder bias are presented. RESULTS 84 articles, that varied significantly in methods and outcomes assessed, met the inclusion criteria. Multiple cross-sectional studies reported that wind turbine noise is associated with noise annoyance, which is moderated by several variables such as noise sensitivity, attitude towards wind turbines, or economic benefit. Wind turbine noise is not associated with stress effects and biophysiological variables of sleep. Results on the impact of wind turbine noise on sleep disburbance, quality of life, and mental health problems differed among cross-sectional studies. There were few studies that addressed the potential impact of turbine noise on clinically apparent health outcomes. There were also few studies on visual risk factors or infrasound exposure. No literature was identified regarding low-frequency noise, electromagnetic radiation, and ice throw. CONCLUSIONS There is an extensive and diverse body of evidence around health impacts of wind turbines in residential settings, that increased sharply since 2010, showing particularly noise consequences concerning increased noise annoyance with its complex pathways; no relationship between wind turbine noise and stress effects and biophysiological variables of sleep; and heterogeneous findings concerning sleep disturbance, quality of life, as well as mental health problems. Research gaps concern the complex pathways of annoyance, the examination of clinically apparent health outcomes in comparison with non-exposed residents, an objective investigation of visual wind turbine features, the interaction between all wind turbine exposures, and epidemiological observational studies on field low-frequency and infrasound from wind turbines. Future research needs thorough high-quality and prospective study designs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Freiberg
- Boysen TU Dresden Graduate School, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany; Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Christiane Schefter
- Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Maria Girbig
- Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Vanise C Murta
- Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Andreas Seidler
- Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Freiberg A, Schefter C, Hegewald J, Seidler A. The influence of wind turbine visibility on the health of local residents: a systematic review. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2019; 92:609-628. [PMID: 30673837 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-019-01403-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The health effects of visible wind turbine features on residents were investigated. Further, it was examined, if visual annoyance has an influence on residents' health, and if wind turbine visibility impacts residents' health independently of or in combination with acoustical aspects. METHODS Medical databases, Google Scholar, public health institutions, and reference lists were searched systematically (PROSPERO registry number: CRD42016041737). Two independent reviewers screened titles/abstract and full texts, extracted data, and critically appraised the methodology of included studies. Study findings were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. RESULTS Seventeen studies from 19 publications of varying methodological quality were included (two cohort studies, fifteen cross-sectional studies). The pooled prevalence of high annoyance due to altered views and shadow flicker was 6% each. The results of other health effects were inconsistent, with some indications showing that direct wind turbine visibility increases sleep disturbance. Annoyance by direct visibility, shadow flicker, and blinking lights was significantly associated with an increased risk for sleep disorders. One study indicated reactions to visual wind turbine features may be influenced by acoustical exposures. CONCLUSIONS In interpreting the results, the differing methodological quality of the included studies needs to be considered. Direct and indirect wind turbine visibility may affect residents' health, and reactions may differ in combination with noise. Further, annoyance by wind turbine visibility may interact as mediator between visual exposures and the health of local residents. To confirm the results, more high-quality research is needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Freiberg
- Boysen TU Dresden Graduate School, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany.,Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christiane Schefter
- Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Janice Hegewald
- Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Andreas Seidler
- Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Qu GB, Zhao TY, Zhu BW, Tzeng GH, Huang SL. Use of a Modified DANP-mV Model to Improve Quality of Life in Rural Residents: The Empirical Case of Xingshisi Village, China. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019; 16:ijerph16010153. [PMID: 30626073 PMCID: PMC6339206 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16010153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Revised: 12/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Climate change-related anomalies have increased public concern regarding environmental protection. This has opened newer rural development avenues. In this regard, livability of villages is crucial; it can be evaluated based on the villagers’ quality of life (QoL). The WHOQOL-BREF, a comprehensive cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary scale proposed by the World Health Organization to assess QoL, has aided in assessing and improving QoL in different regions. However, the factors of this instrument are mutually influential, necessitating an improvement strategy considering the entire system. This problem may be resolved using the DANP-mV model. However, the traditional DANP-mV model includes many items and responding to all of them is difficult for experts. Therefore, by using the case of Xingshisi Village in China, this study proposed a modified DANP-mV model to provide additional suggestions for systematic improvement of the QoL and livability in the village. Xingshisi is a model village built according to an aspirational benchmark; however, different from the traditional definition of a benchmark, this village exhibits room for improvement. Although the modified model reduces the number of questions from 650 to 168, its effect remains similar to that of the traditional model. Moreover, in the modified model, physical capacity (D1) presented the largest dimensional gap. The interaction among the factors indicated that considering the effect of the environment (D4) and developing a systematic improvement strategy are necessary to improve the livability of villages facing limited resources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Bin Qu
- Key Laboratory of Cold Region Urban and Rural Human Settlement Environment Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Architecture, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Dazhi Street, Nan Gang District, Harbin 150006, China.
| | - Tian-Yu Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Cold Region Urban and Rural Human Settlement Environment Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Architecture, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Dazhi Street, Nan Gang District, Harbin 150006, China.
| | - Bo-Wei Zhu
- Graduate Institute of Urban Planning, College of Public Affairs, National Taipei University, 151, University Rd., San Shia District, New Taipei City 23741, Taiwan.
- Faculty of Humanities and Arts, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa 999078, Macau, China.
| | - Gwo-Hshiung Tzeng
- Graduate Institute of Urban Planning, College of Public Affairs, National Taipei University, 151, University Rd., San Shia District, New Taipei City 23741, Taiwan.
| | - Shan-Lin Huang
- Graduate Institute of Urban Planning, College of Public Affairs, National Taipei University, 151, University Rd., San Shia District, New Taipei City 23741, Taiwan.
- Department of Tourism Management, Tourism School, Sanming University, 25, Jingdong Rd., Sanyuan District, Sanming 365004, China.
- National Park Center, Sanming University, 25, Jingdong Rd., Sanyuan District, Sanming 365004, China.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Michaud DS, Guay M, Marro L, Than J. Response to: "Using residential proximity to wind turbines as an alternative exposure measure to investigate the association between wind turbines and human health," by Barry, Sulsky, Kreiger (2018) J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 143(6), 3278-3282. J Acoust Soc Am 2018; 144:330. [PMID: 30075684 DOI: 10.1121/1.5047437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David S Michaud
- Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, Non-Ionizing Radiation Health Sciences Division, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Health Canada, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Mireille Guay
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Leonora Marro
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - John Than
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Barry R, Sulsky SI, Kreiger N. Using residential proximity to wind turbines as an alternative exposure measure to investigate the association between wind turbines and human health. J Acoust Soc Am 2018; 143:3278. [PMID: 29960435 DOI: 10.1121/1.5039840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This analysis uses data from the Community Noise and Health Study developed by Statistics Canada to investigate the association between residential proximity to wind turbines and health-related outcomes in a dataset that also provides objective measures of wind turbine noise. The findings indicate that residential proximity to wind turbines is correlated with annoyance and health-related quality of life measures. These associations differ in some respects from associations with noise measurements. Results can be used to support discussions between communities and wind-turbine developers regarding potential health effects of wind turbines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandra I Sulsky
- Ramboll Environ US Corporation, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01002 USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Michaud DS, Marro L, McNamee J. The association between self-reported and objective measures of health and aggregate annoyance scores toward wind turbine installations. Can J Public Health 2018; 109:252-260. [PMID: 29981034 PMCID: PMC6019418 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-018-0041-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Objective An aggregate annoyance construct has been developed to account for annoyance that ranges from not at all annoyed to extremely annoyed, toward multiple wind turbine features. The practical value associated with aggregate annoyance would be strengthened if it was related to health. The objective of the current paper was to assess the association between aggregate annoyance and multiple measures of health. Methods The analysis was based on data originally collected as part of Health Canada’s Community Noise and Health Study (CNHS). One adult participant per dwelling (18–79 years), randomly selected from Ontario (ON) (n = 1011) and Prince Edward Island (PEI) (n = 227), completed an in-person questionnaire. Results The average aggregate annoyance score for participants who indicated they had a health condition (e.g., chronic pain, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) > 5, tinnitus, migraines/headaches, dizziness, highly sensitive to noise, and reported a high sleep disturbance) ranged from 2.53 to 3.72; the mean score for those who did not report these same conditions ranged between 0.96 and 1.41. Household complaints about wind turbine noise had the highest average aggregate annoyance (8.02), compared to an average of 1.39 among those who did not complain. Conclusion A mean aggregate annoyance score that could reliably distinguish participants who self-report health effects (or noise complaints) from those who do not could be one of several factors considered by jurisdictions responsible for decisions regarding wind turbine developments. However, the threshold value for acceptable changes and/or levels in aggregate annoyance has not yet been established and could be the focus of future research efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David S Michaud
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, Non-Ionizing Radiation Health Sciences Division, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 1C1, Canada.
| | - Leonora Marro
- Health Canada, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - James McNamee
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, Non-Ionizing Radiation Health Sciences Division, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 1C1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Hongisto V, Oliva D, Keränen J. Indoor noise annoyance due to 3-5 megawatt wind turbines-An exposure-response relationship. J Acoust Soc Am 2017; 142:2185. [PMID: 29092540 DOI: 10.1121/1.5006903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The existing exposure-response relationships describing the association between wind turbine sound level and noise annoyance concern turbine sizes of 0.15-3.0 MW. The main purpose of this study was to determine a relationship concerning turbines with nominal power of 3-5 MW. A cross-sectional survey was conducted around three wind power areas in Finland. The survey involved all households within a 2 km distance from the nearest turbine. Altogether, 429 households out of 753 participated. The households were exposed to wind turbine noise having sound levels within 26.7-44.2 dB LAeq. Standard prediction methods were applied to determine the sound level, LAeq, in each participant's yard. The measured sound level agreed well with the predicted sound level. The exposure-response relationship was derived between LAeq outdoors and the indoor noise annoyance. The relationship was in rather good agreement with two previous studies involving much smaller turbines (0.15-1.5 MW) under 40 dB LAeq. The Community Tolerance Level (CTL), CTL20 = 50 dB, was 3 dB lower than for two previous studies. Above 40 dB, a small number of participants prevented a reliable comparison to previous studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valtteri Hongisto
- Indoor Environment Research Group, Turku University of Applied Sciences, 14-18 B Lemminkäisenkatu, 20520 Turku, Finland
| | - David Oliva
- Indoor Environment Research Group, Turku University of Applied Sciences, 14-18 B Lemminkäisenkatu, 20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Jukka Keränen
- Indoor Environment Research Group, Turku University of Applied Sciences, 14-18 B Lemminkäisenkatu, 20520 Turku, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Jalali L, Gohari M, Bigelow P, McColl S, Nezhad-Ahmadi MR. Author response: Letter to the editor: A critical analysis: Why "firm conclusions are not possible". Environ Res 2017; 158:812-814. [PMID: 28392012 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.03.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 03/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Leila Jalali
- University of Waterloo, School of Public Health and Health Systems, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Mahmood Gohari
- University of Waterloo, School of Public Health and Health Systems, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Philip Bigelow
- University of Waterloo, School of Public Health and Health Systems, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephen McColl
- University of Waterloo, School of Public Health and Health Systems, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Mroczek B, Banaś J, Machowska-Szewczyk M, Kurpas D. Response to Shepherd Comment on Mroczek et al. Evaluation of Quality of Life of Those Living Near a Wind Farm. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 2015, 12, 6066-6083. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2017; 14:E141. [PMID: 28157147 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14020141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
20
|
Jalali L, Bigelow P, McColl S, Majowicz S, Gohari M, Waterhouse R. Changes in quality of life and perceptions of general health before and after operation of wind turbines. Environ Pollut 2016; 216:608-615. [PMID: 27321878 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Ontario is Canada's provincial leader in wind energy, with over 4000 MW of installed capacity supplying approximately five percent of the province's electricity demand. Wind energy is now one of the fastest-growing sources of renewable power in Canada and many other countries. However, its possible negative impact on population health, as a new source of environmental noise, has raised concerns for people living in proximity to wind turbines (WTs). The aims of this study were to assess the effect of individual differences and annoyance on the self-reported general health and health-related quality of life (QOL) of nearby residents, using a pre- and post-exposure design. Prospective cohort data were collected before and after WT operations, from the individuals (n = 43) in Ontario, Canada. General health and QOL metrics were measured using standard scales, such as SF12, life satisfaction scales developed by Diener (SWLS) and the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS-SWL). The mean values for the Mental Component Score of SF12 (p = 0.002), SWLS (p < 0.001), and CCHS-SWL (p = 0.044) significantly worsened after WT operation for those participants who had a negative attitude to WTs, who voiced concerns about property devaluation, and/or who reported being visually or noise annoyed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leila Jalali
- University of Waterloo, School of Public Health and Health Systems, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Philip Bigelow
- University of Waterloo, School of Public Health and Health Systems, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephen McColl
- University of Waterloo, School of Public Health and Health Systems, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shannon Majowicz
- University of Waterloo, School of Public Health and Health Systems, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mahmood Gohari
- University of Waterloo, School of Public Health and Health Systems, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Michaud DS, Feder K, Keith SE, Voicescu SA, Marro L, Than J, Guay M, Denning A, McGuire D, Bower T, Lavigne E, Murray BJ, Weiss SK, van den Berg F. Exposure to wind turbine noise: Perceptual responses and reported health effects. J Acoust Soc Am 2016; 139:1443-1454. [PMID: 27036283 DOI: 10.1121/1.4942391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Health Canada, in collaboration with Statistics Canada, and other external experts, conducted the Community Noise and Health Study to better understand the impacts of wind turbine noise (WTN) on health and well-being. A cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out between May and September 2013 in southwestern Ontario and Prince Edward Island on 1238 randomly selected participants (606 males, 632 females) aged 18-79 years, living between 0.25 and 11.22 km from operational wind turbines. Calculated outdoor WTN levels at the dwelling reached 46 dBA. Response rate was 78.9% and did not significantly differ across sample strata. Self-reported health effects (e.g., migraines, tinnitus, dizziness, etc.), sleep disturbance, sleep disorders, quality of life, and perceived stress were not related to WTN levels. Visual and auditory perception of wind turbines as reported by respondents increased significantly with increasing WTN levels as did high annoyance toward several wind turbine features, including the following: noise, blinking lights, shadow flicker, visual impacts, and vibrations. Concern for physical safety and closing bedroom windows to reduce WTN during sleep also increased with increasing WTN levels. Other sample characteristics are discussed in relation to WTN levels. Beyond annoyance, results do not support an association between exposure to WTN up to 46 dBA and the evaluated health-related endpoints.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David S Michaud
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Katya Feder
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Stephen E Keith
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Sonia A Voicescu
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Leonora Marro
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - John Than
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mireille Guay
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Allison Denning
- Health Canada, Environmental Health Program, Health Programs Branch, Regions and Programs Bureau, 1505 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - D'Arcy McGuire
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Office of Science Policy, Liaison and Coordination, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tara Bower
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Office of Science Policy, Liaison and Coordination, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eric Lavigne
- Health Canada, Air Health Science Division, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian J Murray
- Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shelly K Weiss
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frits van den Berg
- The Amsterdam Public Health Service (GGD Amsterdam), Environmental Health Department, Nieuwe Achtergracht 100, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Michaud DS, Feder K, Keith SE, Voicescu SA, Marro L, Than J, Guay M, Denning A, Bower T, Villeneuve PJ, Russell E, Koren G, van den Berg F. Self-reported and measured stress related responses associated with exposure to wind turbine noise. J Acoust Soc Am 2016; 139:1467-1479. [PMID: 27036285 DOI: 10.1121/1.4942402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The current study was the first to assess stress reactions associated with wind turbine noise (WTN) exposure using self-reported and objective measures. Randomly selected participants, aged 18-79 yr (606 males; 632 females), living between 0.25 and 11.22 km from wind turbines, were exposed to outdoor calculated WTN levels up to 46 dBA (response rate 78.9%). Multiple regression modeling left the great majority (77%-89%) of the variance in perceived stress scale (PSS) scores, hair cortisol concentrations, resting blood pressure, and heart rate unaccounted for, and WTN exposure had no apparent influence on any of these endpoints. PSS scores were positively, but weakly, related to cortisol concentrations and resting heart rate (Pearson r = 0.13 and r = 0.08, respectively). Across WTN categories, modeled mean PSS scores ranged from 13.15 to 13.84 (p = 0.8614). Modeled geometric means for hair cortisol concentrations, resting mean systolic, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate were 150.54-191.12 ng/g (p = 0.5416), 113.38-116.82 mmHg (p = 0.4990), 67.98-70.34 mmHg (p = 0.5006), and 68.24-70.71 bpm (p = 0.5223), respectively. Irrespective of WTN levels, diastolic blood pressure appeared to be slightly (2.90 mmHg 95% CI: 0.75,5.05) higher among participants highly annoyed by blinking lights on turbines (p = 0.0081). Collectively, the findings do not support an association between exposure to WTN up to 46 dBA and elevated self-reported and objectively defined measures of stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David S Michaud
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Katya Feder
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Stephen E Keith
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Sonia A Voicescu
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Leonora Marro
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - John Than
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mireille Guay
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Allison Denning
- Health Canada, Environmental Health Program, Health Programs Branch, Regions and Programs Bureau, 1505 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Tara Bower
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Office of Science Policy, Liaison and Coordination, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul J Villeneuve
- Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Evan Russell
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, Siebens Drake Research Institute, Room 111, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gideon Koren
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frits van den Berg
- The Amsterdam Public Health Service (GGD Amsterdam), Environmental Health Department, Nieuwe Achtergracht 100, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Voicescu SA, Michaud DS, Feder K, Marro L, Than J, Guay M, Denning A, Bower T, van den Berg F, Broner N, Lavigne E. Estimating annoyance to calculated wind turbine shadow flicker is improved when variables associated with wind turbine noise exposure are considered. J Acoust Soc Am 2016; 139:1480-1492. [PMID: 27036286 DOI: 10.1121/1.4942403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The Community Noise and Health Study conducted by Health Canada included randomly selected participants aged 18-79 yrs (606 males, 632 females, response rate 78.9%), living between 0.25 and 11.22 km from operational wind turbines. Annoyance to wind turbine noise (WTN) and other features, including shadow flicker (SF) was assessed. The current analysis reports on the degree to which estimating high annoyance to wind turbine shadow flicker (HAWTSF) was improved when variables known to be related to WTN exposure were also considered. As SF exposure increased [calculated as maximum minutes per day (SFm)], HAWTSF increased from 3.8% at 0 ≤ SFm < 10 to 21.1% at SFm ≥ 30, p < 0.0001. For each unit increase in SFm the odds ratio was 2.02 [95% confidence interval: (1.68,2.43)]. Stepwise regression models for HAWTSF had a predictive strength of up to 53% with 10% attributed to SFm. Variables associated with HAWTSF included, but were not limited to, annoyance to other wind turbine-related features, concern for physical safety, and noise sensitivity. Reported dizziness was also retained in the final model at p = 0.0581. Study findings add to the growing science base in this area and may be helpful in identifying factors associated with community reactions to SF exposure from wind turbines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia A Voicescu
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - David S Michaud
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Katya Feder
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Leonora Marro
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - John Than
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Mireille Guay
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Allison Denning
- Health Canada, Environmental Health Program, Health Programs Branch, Regions and Programs Bureau, 1505 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3Y6, Canada
| | - Tara Bower
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Office of Science Policy, Liaison and Coordination, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Frits van den Berg
- The Amsterdam Public Health Service (GGD Amsterdam), Environmental Health Department, Nieuwe Achtergracht 100, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Norm Broner
- Broner Consulting Pty Ltd., Melbourne, Victoria 3183, Australia
| | - Eric Lavigne
- Health Canada, Air Health Science Division, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Michaud DS, Keith SE, Feder K, Voicescu SA, Marro L, Than J, Guay M, Bower T, Denning A, Lavigne E, Whelan C, Janssen SA, Leroux T, van den Berg F. Personal and situational variables associated with wind turbine noise annoyance. J Acoust Soc Am 2016; 139:1455-1466. [PMID: 27036284 DOI: 10.1121/1.4942390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The possibility that wind turbine noise (WTN) affects human health remains controversial. The current analysis presents results related to WTN annoyance reported by randomly selected participants (606 males, 632 females), aged 18-79, living between 0.25 and 11.22 km from wind turbines. WTN levels reached 46 dB, and for each 5 dB increase in WTN levels, the odds of reporting to be either very or extremely (i.e., highly) annoyed increased by 2.60 [95% confidence interval: (1.92, 3.58), p < 0.0001]. Multiple regression models had R(2)'s up to 58%, with approximately 9% attributed to WTN level. Variables associated with WTN annoyance included, but were not limited to, other wind turbine-related annoyances, personal benefit, noise sensitivity, physical safety concerns, property ownership, and province. Annoyance was related to several reported measures of health and well-being, although these associations were statistically weak (R(2 )< 9%), independent of WTN levels, and not retained in multiple regression models. The role of community tolerance level as a complement and/or an alternative to multiple regression in predicting the prevalence of WTN annoyance is also provided. The analysis suggests that communities are between 11 and 26 dB less tolerant of WTN than of other transportation noise sources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David S Michaud
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Stephen E Keith
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Katya Feder
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Sonia A Voicescu
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Leonora Marro
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - John Than
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mireille Guay
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tara Bower
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Office of Science Policy, Liaison and Coordination, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Allison Denning
- Health Canada, Environmental Health Program, Health Programs Branch, Regions and Programs Bureau, 1505 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Eric Lavigne
- Health Canada, Air Health Science Division, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chantal Whelan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, c/o Carlington Community Health Center, 900 Merivale Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sabine A Janssen
- Department of Urban Environment and Safety, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, P.O. Box 49, 2600 AA Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Tony Leroux
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, C.P. 6128, succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Frits van den Berg
- The Amsterdam Public Health Service (GGD Amsterdam), Environmental Health Department, Nieuwe Achtergracht 100, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Gholami A, Araghi MT, Shamsabadi F, Bayat M, Dabirkhani F, Moradpour F, Mansori K, Moradi Y, Rajabi A. Application of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument, Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF) to patients with cataract. Epidemiol Health 2016; 38:e2016005. [PMID: 26883738 PMCID: PMC4877517 DOI: 10.4178/epih.e2016005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Cataract is a prevalent disease in the elderly, and negatively influences patients’ quality of life. This study was conducted to study the application of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument, Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF) to patients with cataract. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 300 patients with cataract were studied in Neyshabur, Iran from July to October 2014. The Iranian version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used to measure their quality of life. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, the paired t-test, the independent t-test, and a linear regression model were used to analyze the data in SPSS version 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 68.11±11.98 years, and most were female (53%). The overall observed Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the WHOQOL-BREF was 0.889, ranging from 0.714 to 0.810 in its four domains. The total mean score of the respondents on the WHOQOL-BREF was 13.19. The highest and lowest mean scores were observed in the social relationship domain (14.11) and the physical health domain (12.29), respectively. A backward multiple linear regression model found that duration of disease and marital status were associated with total WHOQOL scores, while age, duration of disease, marital status, and income level were associated with domains one through four, respectively (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The reliability analysis conducted in this study indicated that the WHOQOL-BREF scale exhibited an acceptable degree of internal consistency in the measurement of the quality of life of patients with cataract. It was also found that the patients with cataract who were surveyed reported a relatively moderate quality of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Gholami
- Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran.,Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Fatemeh Shamsabadi
- Student Research Committee, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
| | - Mahdiye Bayat
- Student Research Committee, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Dabirkhani
- Student Research Committee, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
| | - Farhad Moradpour
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Kamyar Mansori
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yousef Moradi
- Pars Advanced and Minimally Invasive Manners Research Center, Pars Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abdolhalim Rajabi
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Michaud DS, Feder K, Keith SE, Voicescu SA, Marro L, Than J, Guay M, Denning A, Murray BJ, Weiss SK, Villeneuve PJ, van den Berg F, Bower T. Effects of Wind Turbine Noise on Self-Reported and Objective Measures of Sleep. Sleep 2016; 39:97-109. [PMID: 26518593 DOI: 10.5665/sleep.5326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES To investigate the association between self-reported and objective measures of sleep and wind turbine noise (WTN) exposure. METHODS The Community Noise and Health Study, a cross-sectional epidemiological study, included an in-house computer-assisted interview and sleep pattern monitoring over a 7 d period. Outdoor WTN levels were calculated following international standards for conditions that typically approximate the highest long-term average levels at each dwelling. Study data were collected between May and September 2013 from adults, aged 18-79 y (606 males, 632 females) randomly selected from each household and living between 0.25 and 11.22 kilometers from operational wind turbines in two Canadian provinces. Self-reported sleep quality over the past 30 d was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Additional questions assessed the prevalence of diagnosed sleep disorders and the magnitude of sleep disturbance over the previous year. Objective measures for sleep latency, sleep efficiency, total sleep time, rate of awakening bouts, and wake duration after sleep onset were recorded using the wrist worn Actiwatch2® from a subsample of 654 participants (289 males, 365 females) for a total of 3,772 sleep nights. RESULTS Participant response rate for the interview was 78.9%. Outdoor WTN levels reached 46 dB(A) with an arithmetic mean of 35.6 and a standard deviation of 7.4. Self-reported and objectively measured sleep outcomes consistently revealed no apparent pattern or statistically significant relationship to WTN levels. However, sleep was significantly influenced by other factors, including, but not limited to, the use of sleep medication, other health conditions (including sleep disorders), caffeine consumption, and annoyance with blinking lights on wind turbines. CONCLUSIONS Study results do not support an association between exposure to outdoor WTN up to 46 dB(A) and an increase in the prevalence of disturbed sleep. Conclusions are based on WTN levels averaged over 1 y and, in some cases, may be strengthened with an analysis that examines sleep quality in relation to WTN levels calculated during the precise sleep period time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David S Michaud
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Katya Feder
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephen E Keith
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sonia A Voicescu
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Leonora Marro
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - John Than
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mireille Guay
- Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Allison Denning
- Health Canada, Environmental Health Program, Health Programs Branch, Regions and Programs Bureau, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Brian J Murray
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shelly K Weiss
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto
| | - Paul J Villeneuve
- Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frits van den Berg
- GGD Amsterdam Public Health Service, Environmental Health Department, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tara Bower
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Office of Science Policy, Liaison and Coordination, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|