Road traffic noise, sensitivity, annoyance and self-reported health

摘要

To shed light on the relationships between noise exposure, exposure to air pollution, noise sensitivity, demographic and lifestyle factors and self-reported health, alternative explanatory models are explored. Using structural equation models, the empirical support for different causal models are assessed. The analyses are performed on cross-sectional data consisting of questionnaire responses from 1842 respondents and the calculated noise exposure on the most exposed facade of their dwellings, along with air pollution indicators for each dwelling based on 6 months of hourly calculated exposure data using real meteorology. Results from the analyses indicate that only sensitivity to noise is related to hypertension and chest pain. No relationships between road traffic noise annoyance and health complaints were identified. Instead of a traditional ambient stressor model of noise and other environmental exposures being the causal agent of stress that in turn induces health problems, the results suggest that noise annoyance - health relationships in these studies may be spurious. It is conceivable that individual vulnerability is reflected both in ill health and in being sensitive to noise. The benefit of including contextual variables in a model of noise-health relationships is supported.