Table 3 - uploaded by Marja Heinonen-Guzejev
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Noise can be defined as unwanted sound. It may adversely affect the health and well-being of individuals. Noise sensitivity is a personality trait covering attitudes towards noise in general and a predictor of noise annoyance. Noise sensitive individuals are more affected by noise than less sensitive individuals. The determinants and characteristic...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... sensitivity was significantly associated with hypertension, emphysema, use of psychotropic drugs (sleeping pills, tranquillizers and pain relievers), smoking, stress and hostility, even when lifetime noise exposure was adjusted for (Table 3). The results indicate that noise sensitivity has both somatic and psychological components. ...
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Citations
... role in the nonauditory effects of noise. [4,[7][8][9] Previous survey has shown that exposure to noise affects health, professional memory, consciousness, and being professionally content, which varies based on the complexity of the job. [10] Until 1930, a common belief was that noise effects on health were limited to decreasing hearing ability. ...
... Moreover, people who were more sensitive to noise might be more vulnerable to the impact of noise when exposed to the same noise level as others with less sensitivity, reflected by increases in annoyance, and physical and mental health problems. Noise sensitivity is a stable trait that refers to increased reactivity to noise in general [21,22]. It was also proposed to be associated with emotional responses, especially a tendency to negative feelings of sensations, events and self [22]. ...
Background
Nonrestorative sleep is a common sleep disorder with a prevalence ranging from 1.4 to 35%, and is associated with various psychological and physical health issues. Noise exposure and noise sensitivity have been proposed to contribute to nonrestorative sleep. This study aimed to examine the relationships among noise, noise sensitivity, nonrestorative sleep, and physiological sleep parameters in Chinese adults.
Methods
A cross-sectional household survey was conducted with randomly selected Chinese adults based on a frame stratified by geographical districts and types of quarters in Hong Kong. We administered a battery of questionnaires, including the Nonrestorative Sleep Scale, the Weinstein Noise Sensitivity Scale, the ENRICHD Social Support Instrument, the Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Perceived Stress Scale to assess nonrestorative sleep, noise sensitivity, social support, somatic symptoms and stress, respectively. Anxiety and depression were evaluated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale while sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics were assessed with an investigator-developed sheet. Nocturnal noise level and physiological sleep parameters were measured during nighttime for a week by noise dosimetry and actigraphy, respectively. A structured multiphase linear regression was conducted to estimate associations.
Results
A total of 500 adults (66.4% female) with an average age of 39 years completed this study. Bivariate regressions showed that age, marital status, occupation, family income, season, exercise, cola and soda consumption, social support, somatic symptoms, stress, depression, noise sensitivity, total sleep time, and awakenings were associated with nonrestorative sleep. In the multivariable analysis, family income, season, exercise, social support, somatic symptoms, stress, and depression remained associated with nonrestorative sleep. Specifically, a one-unit increase of noise sensitivity was associated with 0.08 increase in nonrestorative sleep (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01, 0.15, p = 0.023). Nocturnal noise was negatively associated with time in bed (b = − 1.65, 95% CI: − 2.77, − 0.52, p = 0.004), total sleep time (b = − 1.61, 95% CI: − 2.59, − 0.62, p = 0.001), and awakenings (b = − 0.16, 95% CI: − 0.30, − 0.03, p = 0.018), but was not associated with nonrestorative sleep.
Conclusions
Nonrestorative sleep was predicted by noise sensitivity in addition to family income, season, exercise, social support, somatic symptoms, stress, and depression.
... Noise sensitivity, and by extension general sensitivity to environmental influences [48], may be independently associated with health or modify the effect of noise on health [64][65][66]. Moreover, it may influence perceptions of the acoustic environment, with more sensitive individuals being more likely to be hypervigilant [67,68]. ...
Background:
Online education became mandatory for many students during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and blurred the distinction between settings where processes of stress and restoration used to take place. The lockdown also likely changed perceptions of the indoor acoustic environment (i.e., soundscape) and raised its importance. In the present study, we seek to understand how indoor soundscape related to university students' self-rated health in Bulgaria around the time that the country was under a state of emergency declaration caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods:
Between 17 May and 10 June 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey among 323 students (median age 21 years; 31% male) from two universities in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Self-rated health (SRH) was measured with a single-item. Participants were asked how frequently they heard different types of sounds while at home and how pleasant they considered each of those sounds to be. Restorative quality of the home (the "being away" dimension of the Perceived Restorativeness Scale) was measured with a single-item. A priori confounders and effect modifiers included sociodemographics, house-related characteristics, general sensitivity to environmental influences, and mental health. Our analysis strategy involved sequential exploratory factor analysis (EFA), multivariate linear and ordinal regressions, effect modification tests, and structural equation modeling (SEM).
Results:
EFA supported grouping perceived sounds into three distinct factors-mechanical, human, and nature sounds. Regression analyses revealed that greater exposure to mechanical sounds was consistently associated with worse SRH, whereas no significant associations were found for human and nature sounds. In SEM, exposure to mechanical sounds related to lower restorative quality of the home, and then to poorer SRH, whereas nature sounds correlated with higher restorative quality, and in turn with better SRH.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest a role of positive indoor soundscape and restorative quality for promoting self-rated health in times of social distancing.
... NS is pervasive across the general population, with prevalence estimates varying between 20 and 40% [5][6][7], with estimates of high levels of NS ranging from between 12 and 15% [2,8,9]. NS aggregates in families with a heritability estimate of 36% [10], meaning a higher frequency of NS in first-degree relatives compared with the general population. ...
... Approximately 11% of the participants reported being very NS, 37% reported being not NS and around 52% reported being moderately NS, estimates that are consistent with those reported in the literature [5,6,9]. In terms of the participant characteristics predicting NS (i.e., the base model), it was noted that those in the moderate NS group tended to be older than those in the not NS group, However, this did not hold for the very NS group. ...
... The Epidemiology of Noise Sensitivity 7 Neuroepidemiology DOI: 10.1159/000511353 verity of NS. Specifically, the models in the current study failed to predict those in the very NS group, and this may be due to statistical factors caused by the lower sample size of this group or indicative that other variables, including genetic make-up [5], need to be accounted for. ...
Background:
Sensitivity to noise, or nuisance sounds that interrupt relaxation and task-related activities, has been shown to vary significantly across individuals. The current study sought to uncover predictors of noise sensitivity, focussing on possible social and cultural determinants, including social position, education, ethnicity, gender, and the presence of an illness.
Method:
Data were collected from 746 New Zealand adults residing in 6 areas differentiated by social position. Participants responded to questions probing personal characteristics, noise sensitivity, illness, neighbourhood problems, and noise annoyance. It was hypothesized that those in high-deprivation areas and/or experiencing illness report higher levels of noise sensitivity.
Results:
Approximately 50 and 10% of the participants reported being moderately or very noise sensitive, respectively. Significant predictors of noise sensitivity included age, length of residence, level of social deprivation, and self-reported illness.
Conclusion:
There is evidence of social determinants of noise sensitivity, including social position and residential factors.
... [12] Noise sensitivity (NS), in particular, has been conceptualized as a psycho-physiological internal state of an individual that increases the degree of reactivity to noise in general. [16,17] Although evidence of its correlations with personality characteristics is mixed, [17,18] some authors have linked it to neuroticism and negative affect. [16,18] Noise sensitive individuals have difficulty adapting to noise because they pay more attention to sounds perceived as threatening and beyond their control. ...
... [16,17] Although evidence of its correlations with personality characteristics is mixed, [17,18] some authors have linked it to neuroticism and negative affect. [16,18] Noise sensitive individuals have difficulty adapting to noise because they pay more attention to sounds perceived as threatening and beyond their control. [19] Therefore, NS may act as a moderator of the relationship between noise and NA, with highly sensitive individuals being more susceptible. ...
... [20,21] To be sure, NA was considerably higher even at low noise levels in the high NS group − an aspect of this interaction that is usually of interest. [16,22] However, we believe that interpreting the difference in regression slopes across NS groups has greater applied value for predicting effectiveness of noise abatement interventions. In our case, increase in traffic noise contributed modestly to NA that was already high in the high NS group. ...
Context:
Traffic noise may contribute to depression and anxiety through higher noise annoyance (NA). However, little is known about noise sensitivity (NS) and mental health status as contextual factors.
Objective:
We tested three hypotheses: (1) Traffic noise is associated with mental ill-health through higher NA; (2) Mental ill-health and NS moderate the association between traffic noise and NA; and (3) NS moderates the indirect effect of traffic noise on mental ill-health.
Subjects and methods:
We used a convenience sample of 437 undergraduate students from the Medical University in Plovdiv, Bulgaria (mean age 21 years; 35% male). Residential road traffic noise (LAeq; day equivalent noise level) was calculated using a land use regression model. Depression and anxiety symptoms were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, respectively. NA was measured using a 5-point verbal scale. The Noise Sensitivity Scale Short Form (NSS-SF) was used to measure NS. To investigate how these variables intertwine, we conducted mediation, moderation and moderated mediation analyses.
Results:
LAeq was indirectly associated with higher PHQ-9/GAD-7 scores through higher NA, but only in the low NS group. The relationship between LAeq and NA was stronger in students reporting depression/anxiety. While high NS was associated with high NA even at low noise levels, LAeq contributed to NA only in students low on NS.
Conclusions:
We found complex conditional relationships between traffic noise, annoyance and mental ill-health. Understanding respective vulnerability profiles within the community could aid noise policy and increase efficacy of interventions.
... Available studies report a wide range of sensory dysfunctions, with few selectively identifying noise and/or light sensitivity as primary complaints. In the general population, noise sensitivity affects approximately 20-40% of the non-clinical population [24]. It has been found to aggregate in families, with an estimated rate of 36% heritability in first-degree relatives [25]. ...
Purpose of review:
This review investigates the relationship between sensory sensitivity and traumatic brain injury (TBI), and the role sensory sensitivity plays in chronic disability.
Recent findings:
TBI is a significant cause of disability with a range of physical, cognitive, and mental health consequences. Sensory sensitivities (e.g., noise and light) are among the most frequently reported, yet least outwardly recognizable symptoms following TBI. Clinicians and scientists alike have yet to identify consistent nomenclature for defining noise and light sensitivity, making it difficult to accurately and reliably assess their influence. Noise and light sensitivity can profoundly affect critical aspects of independent function including communication, productivity, socialization, cognition, sleep, and mental health. Research examining the prevalence of sensory sensitivity and evidence for the association of sensory sensitivity with TBI is inconclusive. Evidence-based interventions for sensory sensitivity, particularly following TBI, are lacking.
... In this paper, we forward the hypothesis that a personal factor or multiple personal factors influence the interaction between landscape and soundscape appraisal. Personal traits and beliefs are known to influence the perception and appraisal of the sonic environment both at home [e.g., noise sensitivity (Miedema and Vos, 2003;Heinonen-Guzejev, 2009)] and in public spaces [e.g., meaning given to tranquility (Filipan et al., 2017) and recreation (Pilcher et al., 2009;Miller et al., 2014)]. So it is not unlikely that this additional personal factor would indeed exist. ...
... They could be labeled hearing specialists and are probably auditory dominated. Noise sensitivity was found before to be moderately stable and associated with current psychiatric disorder and a disposition to negative affectivity (Stansfeld, 1992), which is at least partly inherited (Heinonen-Guzejev, 2009). The present study included the Weinstein noise sensitivity survey. ...
It has been established that there is an interaction between audition and vision in the appraisal of our living environment, and that this appraisal is influenced by personal factors. Here, we test the hypothesis that audiovisual aptitude influences appraisal of our sonic and visual environment. To measure audiovisual aptitude, an auditory deviant detection experiment was conducted in an ecologically valid and complex context. This experiment allows us to distinguish between accurate and less accurate listeners. Additionally, it allows to distinguish between participants that are easily visually distracted and those who are not. To do so, two previously conducted laboratory experiments were re-analyzed. The first experiment focuses on self-reported noise annoyance in a living room context, whereas the second experiment focuses on the perceived pleasantness of using outdoor public spaces. In the first experiment, the influence of visibility of vegetation on self-reported noise annoyance was modified by audiovisual aptitude. In the second one, it was found that the overall appraisal of walking across a bridge is influenced by audiovisual aptitude, in particular when a visually intrusive noise barrier is used to reduce highway traffic noise levels. We conclude that audiovisual aptitude may affect the appraisal of the living environment.
... Personal traits and beliefs are known to influence the perception and appraisal of the sonic environment both at home (e.g. noise sensitivity (Miedema and Vos, 2003;Heinonen-Guzejev, 2009)) and in public spaces (e.g. meaning given to tranquility (Filipan et al., 2017) and recreation (Miller et al., 2014;Pilcher et al., 2009)). ...
... They could be labeled hearing specialists and are probably auditory dominated. Noise sensitivity was found before to be moderately stable and associated with current psychiatric disorder and a disposition to negative affectivity (Stansfeld, 1992), which is at least partly inherited (Heinonen-Guzejev, 2009). The present study included the Weinstein noise sensitivity survey. ...
... However, it is shown to be related to the mechanisms of the central sound processing (Kliuchko et al., 2016;Shepherd et al., 2016). Noise sensitivity is also correlated with annoyance induced by noise (Heinonen-Guzejev, 2008), which suggests that noise-sensitive individuals develop affective reaction towards noise easier than noise-resistant individuals. Some authors suggested that noise sensitivity is a part of a general predisposition of an individual to experiencing negative emotions towards events, sensations and self (Watson and Clarck, 1984) as well as exhibiting increased responses to stress and discomfort (Persson et al., 2007;Weinstein, 1978). ...
Recent functional studies suggest that noise sensitivity, a trait describing attitudes towards noise and predicting noise annoyance, is associated with altered processing in the central auditory system. In the present work, we examined whether noise sensitivity could be related to the structural anatomy of auditory and limbic brain areas. Anatomical MR brain images of 80 subjects were parcellated with FreeSurfer to measure grey matter volume, cortical thickness, cortical area and folding index of anatomical structures in the temporal lobe and insular cortex. The grey matter volume of amygdala and hippocampus was measured as well. According to our findings, noise sensitivity is associated with the grey matter volume in the selected structures. Among those, we propose and discuss particular areas, previously linked to auditory perceptual, emotional and interoceptive processing, in which larger grey matter volume seems to be related to higher noise sensitivity.
... Between 10% and 26% of the variance in reported annoyance can be explained by noise sensitivity [14,15]. It is suggested by Heinonen [16] that sensitivity is both a psychological and somatic response and perhaps has a genetic component. Along with sensitivity, another attitudinal factor affecting noise annoyance is a fear of the noise source [10]. ...
The aim of this paper is to determine what non-exposure factors influence the relationship between vibration and noise exposure from the construction of a Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system and the annoyance of nearby residents. Noise and vibration from construction sites are known to annoy residents, with annoyance increasing as a function of the magnitude of the vibration and noise. There is not a strong correlation between exposure and levels of annoyance suggesting that factors not directly related to the exposure may have an influence. A range of attitudinal, situational and demographic factors are investigated with the aim of understanding the wide variation in annoyance for a given vibration exposure. A face-to-face survey of residents (n = 350) near three sites of LRT construction was conducted, and responses were compared to semi-empirical estimates of the internal vibration within the buildings. It was found that annoyance responses due to vibration were strongly influenced by two attitudinal variables, concern about property damage and sensitivity to vibration. Age, ownership of the property and the visibility of the construction site were also important factors. Gender, time at home and expectation of future levels of vibration had much less influence. Due to the measurement methods used, it was not possible to separate out the effects of noise and vibration on annoyance; as such, this paper focusses on annoyance due to vibration exposure. This work concludes that for the most cost-effective reduction of the impact of construction vibration and noise on the annoyance felt by a community, policies should consider attitudinal factors.
