Road Traffic Noise at the Residence, Annoyance, and Cognitive Function in Elderly Women

Kateryna B. Fuks, Claudia Wigmann, Hicran Altug and Tamara Schikowski
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Kateryna B. Fuks: IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
Claudia Wigmann: IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
Hicran Altug: IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
Tamara Schikowski: IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 10, 1-12

Abstract: The detrimental effects of traffic noise on cognition in children are well documented. Not much is known about the health effects in adults. We investigated the association of residential exposure to road traffic noise and annoyance due to road traffic noise with cognitive function in a cohort of 288 elderly women from the longitudinal Study on the influence of Air pollution on Lung function, Inflammation and Aging (SALIA) in Germany. Residential noise levels—weighted 24-h mean (L DEN ) and nighttime noise (L NIGHT )—were modeled for the most exposed facade of dwellings and dichotomized at ≥50 dB(A). Traffic noise annoyance (day and night) was estimated by questionnaire. Cognitive function was assessed using the Consortium to Establish a Registry on Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD-Plus) Neuropsychological Assessment Battery. The modeled noise levels were associated with impaired total cognition and the constructional praxis domain, independently of air pollution. Self-reported noise annoyance was associated with better performance in semantic memory and constructional praxis domains. This finding should be interpreted with caution since we could not control for potential confounding by hearing loss. Noise levels and annoyance were associated, but their health effects seemed mutually independent.

Keywords: road traffic noise; noise annoyance; cognitive impairment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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