Association between community noise and children's cognitive and behavioral development: A prospective cohort study.

Abstract

Noise exposure has been associated with adverse cognitive and behavioral outcomes in children, but evidence on longitudinal associations between community noise and child development in low- and middle-income countries is rare. We investigated associations between community noise and behavioral and cognitive development in preschool children in São Paulo. We linked child development data from the São Paulo Western Region Birth Cohort with average (Lden) and night-time (Lnight) community noise exposure at children's home, estimated by means of a land use regression model using various predictors (roads, schools, greenness, residential and informal settlements). Outcomes were the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Regional Project on Child Development Indicators (PRIDI) at 3years of age and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA) at 6years of age. We investigated the relationship between noise exposure and development using cross-sectional and longitudinal regression models. Data from 3385 children at 3years of age and 1546 children at 6years of age were analysed. Mean Lden and Lnight levels were 70.3dB and 61.2dB, respectively. In cross-sectional analyses a 10dB increase of Lden above 70dB was associated with a 32% increase in the odds of borderline or abnormal SDQ total difficulties score (OR=1.32, 95% CI: 1.04; 1.68) and 0.72 standard deviation (SD) increase in the CBCL total problems z-score (95% CI: 0.55; 0.88). No cross-sectional association was found for cognitive development. In longitudinal analyses, each 10dB increase was associated with a 0.52 SD increase in behavioral problems (95% CI: 0.28; 0.77) and a 0.27 SD decrease in cognition (95%-CI: 0.55; 0.00). Results for Lnight above 60dB were similar. Our findings suggest that community noise exposure above Lden of 70dB and Lnight of 60dB may impair behavioral and cognitive development of preschool children.