Abstract
A questionnaire-based study was performed in an area of about 16 ha
near a main road in Tokyo to elucidate any relations between road
traffic noise and the effects of this noise among women living on
both sides of the road. Questions concerned annoyance, sleep disturbance,
interference with daily activities, health-related symptoms and disease
histories. 366 inhabitants were analyzed. Dose–response relationships
were found in high reported responses to noisiness, annoyance, dissatisfaction
with the nearby environment and interference with listening to TV,
conversation and reading. It was also found that the number of high
responses to questions increases clearly at noise levels above 70
dB(A),Leq(24h), with regard to interference with thinking and sleep
disturbance (waking during the night), fatigue, headache, gastroenteric
disorders, loss of appetite, depression and irritation. Furthermore,
there was an increase in reports of disease histories with noise
above 70 dB(A) for climacteric disturbances, and at noise above 65
dB(A) for deafness, heart disease and hypercholestrolemia. These
all suggest that noise may be related to the health status of inhabitants
living in areas with heavy road traffic. A noise level of 65 dB(A)
or 70 dB(A) inLeq(24h)was the critical point above which respondents
indicated increased effects on health and reports of disease increased.
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