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

Abstract

Evidence is emerging linking environmental noise to health problems. Noise can affect health directly and indirectly: For example, noise sensitivity moderates the effects of noise annoyance, which in turn mediates the effects of noise exposure. An alternative hypothesis is that noise sensitivity marks the presence of susceptibility to health problems in general, including annoyance from noise. Whether noise sensitivity causes poor health or whether it is a marker of susceptibility to health problems was addressed by comparing the results of a community-based survey of people with similar noise sensitivity profiles but different environmental noise exposures. A questionnaire was delivered to people living in two socio-economically-matched areas: One was within 50 m of a motorway and the other was away from any significant source of environmental noise. The questionnaire contained 58 questions comprised of the World Health Organization health-related quality of life questionnaire (WHOQOL), and questions about amenity, neighborhood issues, environmental annoyances, demographics, and noise sensitivity. Noise sensitivity did not vary with proximity to the motorway but annoyance with traffic noise and fumes was greater in those living close to the motorway than in those who were not. Scores on the four WHOQOL domains (physical, psychological, social, and environmental) were lower in those living close to the motorway, and the WHOQOL domain scores correlated negatively with noise sensitivity in those who lived near motorways but not in those who lived in the quieter areas. This suggests that noise sensitivity is related to poor health outcomes rather than being a trait marker of susceptibility to health problems in general.

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

“…The first set compromised the “Motorway” ( n = 373) and the “Non-Motorway” ( n = 253) samples. The Motorway sample consisted of residents living within 50 m of Auckland’s motorway system, with noise levels estimated to be approximately 76 dB(A) LDN [47]. The Non-Motorway reference sample contains data from residents from two areas within the Auckland region, located at least two kilometres away from any significant source of environmental noise (e.g., industry or roads), and with noise levels estimated to be around 55 dB(A) LDN.…”

“…Data were obtained from a larger survey entitled “Wellbeing and Neighborhood Survey” [47,49]. Items pertinent to the current analysis were the items probing annoyance to environmental factors, including traffic-related noise and air pollution, where “traffic” was unspecified but the context can be assumed to relate to road traffic.…”

Objective exposure to road traffic noise, noise annoyance and self-rated poor health – framing the relationship between noise and health as a matter of multiple stressors and resources in urban neighbourhoods

“…Lercher 1996, 119, table 1;Guski 1999;Hatfield et al 2002;Wen, Hawkley, and Cacioppo 2006;4 N. Riedel et al Schreckenberg, Griefahn, and Meis 2010;Welch et al 2013). Noise sensitivity, negative affectivity, depressive symptoms, anxiety, neuroticism, attitude towards traffic noise and general control beliefs/learned helplessness, for example, all of which might convey or erode psychosocial resources needed to encounter residential traffic noise exposure.…”

Noise sensitivity and diminished health: Testing moderators and mediators of the relationship

“…[1][2][3][4][5] Noise sensitivity is a strong predictor of noise annoyance [4,[6][7][8] and has been found to moderate the association between noise exposure and self-reported health. [9] Although noise sensitivity is seldom the focus of public health research investigations, there is mounting evidence to suggest that noise sensitivity may be a health risk factor unto itself.…”