Noise effects on health in studies in Low-Middle-income-countries (LMICs): a mapping review update of epidemiological evidence

Abstract

Background and Aim: Noise has been linked to adverse non-auditory health problems, including annoyance, sleep disturbance, cardiovascular disease, and impaired cognitive function. However, most studies on these topics have been conducted in developed countries. This review focussed on studies in Low-and Middle-income-countries (LMICs), where populations are exposed to relatively higher levels of noise Methods: We conducted a literature search of Medline and Web of Science from 2009-2021 for studies in LMICs investigating environmental noise ((including road traffic noise, railway noise, aircraft noise, community noise, wind turbine noise, etc.) effects on health (including annoyance, cardiovascular disease, mental health condition). Results: Fifty-six papers were included in the review. Thirty-four (60.7%) of the 56 studies assessed exposure based on fixed-site sound level meter, thirteen with noise mapping, six with subjective ratings, three with personal monitoring. The mean level of noise exposure among all the reviewed studies ranged from 36.6 dB to 121.2 Db. Twenty-two (39.3%) of the 56 studies looked at noise annoyance and perception and found, as with non-LMIC studies, higher noise levels are associated with higher annoyance. Eleven studies examined cardiovascular outcomes reported that short-term noise exposure may slightly increase blood pressure among children and long-term noise exposure was linked to higher prevalence of hypertension and coronary artery disease in adults. Studies on all other outcomes remain very limited which preclude a meaningful synthesis of the findings. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first review to summarize current evidence on the relationship between noise exposures and health outcomes in LMICs. This review provides critical and concise evidence on the knowledge gap to inform the future research agenda to help better understand noise pollution and human health in a global context. Keywords: Noise; Health; Low-and Middle-income-countries (LMICs)