Abstract
Exposure to road-traffic noise commonly engenders annoyance, the extent of which is determined by factors not fully understood. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence and determinants of road-traffic noise annoyance and noise sensitivity in the Finnish adult population, while comparing the perceptions of road-traffic noise to exhausts as environmental health problems. Using a questionnaire that yielded responses from 1112 randomly selected adult Finnish respondents, we estimated road-traffic noise- and exhausts-related perceived exposures, health-risk perceptions, and self-reported annoyance on five-point scales, while noise sensitivity estimates were based on four questions. Determinants of noise annoyance and sensitivity were investigated using multivariate binary logistic regression and linear regression models, respectively. High or extreme noise annoyance was reported by 17% of respondents. Noise sensitivity scores approximated a Gaussian distribution. Road-traffic noise and exhausts were, respectively, considered high or extreme population-health risks by 22% and 27% of respondents. Knowledge of health risks from traffic noise, OR: 2.04 (1.09–3.82) and noise sensitivity, OR: 1.07 (1.00–1.14) were positively associated with annoyance. Knowledge of health risks (p < 0.045) and positive environmental attitudes (p < 000) were associated with higher noise sensitivity. Age and sex were associated with annoyance and sensitivity only in bivariate models. A considerable proportion of Finnish adults are highly annoyed by road-traffic noise, and perceive it to be a significant health risk, almost comparable to traffic exhausts. There is no distinct noise-sensitive population subgroup. Knowledge of health risks of road-traffic noise, and attitudinal variables are associated with noise annoyance and sensitivity.
Highlights
Road-traffic noise is a widespread environmental nuisance which affects people in their residential dwellings and workplaces [1]
High to extreme road-traffic noise sensitivity was associated with increased traffic noise annoyance, higher knowledge of health risks from traffic-noise, positive environmental attitudes and nature orientedness
We found that a considerable proportion of Finnish adults reported high to extreme levels of perceived residential road-traffic noise
Summary
Road-traffic noise is a widespread environmental nuisance which affects people in their residential dwellings and workplaces [1]. A WHO report estimates that about 65% of the population in the European Union resides in places where they are regularly exposed to noise levels ranging from 55 to 65 dB. Much of this noise is road traffic related. Exposure of this magnitude has been associated with stress reactions, sleep disturbances and poor health [7,8,9,10]. A common human reaction to noise is annoyance. The concept of noise annoyance is, not unambiguous [15], even though an ISO standard has been created for the estimation of annoyance [16]
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