Evaluation of Noise Reduction Interventions in a School

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Noise in the school environment has been a major concern in many countries around the world. Students need a favorable signal-to-noise ratio in the classroom to ensure adequate speech intelligibility, which is directly dependent on the acoustics of the classroom and favorable noise levels in these environments. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To evaluate the effectiveness of physical, organizational, and educational interventions to achieve noise reduction in a school. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Presentations on the effects of noise were made to school administrators, teachers, and students (educational activities), and also to the students’ families. Then, thermoacoustic treatment, changes in break times, equipment maintenance, and scheduling of students’ departure were applied. Sound pressure levels were measured before and after interventions for the unoccupied and occupied classroom conditions (<i>n</i> = 11 classrooms) and of the school’s outside areas (<i>n</i> = 4). Self-administered printed pre- and postintervention multiple-choice questionnaires were completed by the students in the classroom. Measures of the signal-to-noise ratio of the teachers’ voice before and after the interventions were also conducted (<i>n</i> = 3 classrooms). The interventions included installation of an acoustic ceiling, installation of air-conditioning, and replacement of the existing furniture with wood furniture. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Comparing the pre- and postintervention questionnaires, the Annoyance Index was reduced from 0.78 to 0.59. The tinnitus reported by the individuals increased significantly in the postintervention questionnaire (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Significant reductions in noise levels in both unoccupied and occupied classrooms were observed. There was also an improvement in the mean signal-to-noise ratio in the evaluated classrooms (<i>n</i> = 3) from +7.5 to +8.4 dB. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Subjective measures and objective assessments demonstrated that both physical and educational interventions had a positive effect on short-term changes in habits and noise reduction in the school environment.

A Scoping Review of the Effects of Classroom Acoustic Conditions on Primary School Children’s Physical Health

“…The authors suggest, taking into account findings from other studies, that the noise can induce stress which increases cortisol levels which can exacerbate asthma. Taborda et al [18] did not find a significant difference in the number of children reporting headaches pre (44.7%) and post (38.4%) noise control intervention; however, interestingly there was a significant increase in children with tinnitus post-intervention. The authors, however, believe that this result was due to children at first not understanding what tinnitus was rather than the result being directly related to the noise level.…”

“…Taborda et al [18] found no significant difference in the number of children reporting headaches pre-and postintervention of noise control (44.7% vs. 38.4%), but there was a significant increase in children with tinnitus postintervention (12% vs. 26.5%). Unoccupied noise levels were L min 46.6 dB pre-intervention vs. 44.6 dB postintervention, L max 76.0 dB pre-intervention vs. 58.3 dB post-intervention, L eq 56.4 dB pre-intervention (above that recommended [7]) vs. 48.9 dB post-intervention (still above that recommended [7]).…”

“…Taborda et al [18] developed a questionnaire for the study filled out by the child that assessed symptoms such as headaches and tinnitus experienced by the child in the classroom.…”

Children’s Effortful Control Skills, but Not Their Prosocial Skills, Relate to Their Reactions to Classroom Noise

“…Given the importance of effortful control skills to succeed at school, children at risk of school difficulty might also be the ones who are particularly vulnerable to noise. Interventions aimed at reducing classroom noise [48,74] and/or improving effortful control [55] might be particularly beneficial for the most noise-sensitive children. Informed Consent Statement: Study 1.…”