The effect of transportation noise on health and cognitive development: a review of recent evidence
Open accessAbstract
Noise from transport is an increasingly prominent feature of the urban environment. Whilst the auditory effects of noise on humans are established, non-auditory effects - the effects of noise exposure on human health, well-being and cognitive development - are less well established. This narrative review evaluates recent studies of aircraft and road traffic noise that have advanced or synthesized knowledge about several aspects of adult and child health and cognition. Studies have demonstrated a moderate effect of transport noise on hypertension, cardiovascular disease and catecholamine secretion: there is also evidence for an effect on psychological symptoms but not for the onset of more serious clinically defined psychiatric disorder. One way noise may affect health is through annoyance: noise causes annoyance responses in both children and adults and annoyance may cause stress-responses and subsequent illness. Another possible mechanism is sleep disturbance: transport noise has been found to disturb sleep in laboratory and field studies, although there is evidence for adaptation to noise exposure. For children effects of aircraft and road traffic noise have been observed for impaired reading comprehension and memory skills: there is equivocal evidence for an association with blood pressure. To date most health effects have been very little researched and studies have yet to examine in detail how noise exposure interacts with other environmental stressors. In conclusion, noise is a main cause of environmental annoyance and it negatively affects the quality of life of a large proportion of the population. In addition, health and cognitive effects, although modest, may be of importance given the number of people increasingly exposed to environmental noise and the chronic nature of exposure.
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Traffic noise was not explored as a potential confounder in any included study; noise can cause stress, interfere with sleep, and has been associated with cognitive performance.
“One potential confounding influence was not explored in any study: that of noise due to traffic. Noise can cause a stress response or interfere with sleep and has been associated with cognitive performance.75”
From Environmental Chemical Exposures and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of the Epidemiological Evidence (2014) · cites this paper as [75]
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- Authors
- Clark, C., & Stansfeld, S. A.
- Affiliations
- University of London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Clark, Charlotte
- Venue
- International Journal of Comparative Psychology
- Publisher
- California Digital Library (CDL)
- Published
- 2007-12-31
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 2
- ISSN
- 0889-3667 (ISSN-L)
- 2168-3344
- OpenAlex
- W4312963332
- Cited by
- 112
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 0.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Locations
- International Journal of Comparative Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › Noise Effects and Management
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Automotive Engineering › Vehicle Noise and Vibration Control
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics
- Keywords
- transportation noise, aircraft noise, road traffic noise, non-auditory health effects, cognitive development, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, catecholamine release, psychological symptoms, noise annoyance, sleep disorders, noise adaptation, children, reading comprehension, memory, blood pressure, quality of life, environmental stressors
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