WHO LARES Final report: Noise effects and morbidity
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This document represents the final report of an analysis on the health effects of noise exposure. The analysis is based on the WHO Large Analysis and Review of European housing and health Status (LARES), which combines the data of eight city studies in European countries. It was presented at a WHO housing and health technical meeting on the analysis of evidence, and was subject to peer review by other analysis teams of the LARES study and three external reviewers.
The document presents the analytical approach and the statistical procedures used for assessing the impact of residential noise exposure on noise induced annoyance and noise induced sleep disturbances. Split into traffic noise and neighbourhood noise for annoyance. The results are identified individually for children, adults and elderly, acknowledging that each age group is affected by noise in a different way and consequently shows a different pattern of morbidity potentially related to noise subjective exposure.
One of the main conclusions of this work is that for noise induced sleep disturbances, traffic noise annoyance and neighbourhood noise annoyance, the identified health effects are independent of socio-economic status and housing conditions. The elevated relative risks are expressed in the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system and the musculoskeletal system, as well as through depression.
The document presents the analytical approach and the statistical procedures used for assessing the impact of residential noise exposure on noise induced annoyance and noise induced sleep disturbances. Split into traffic noise and neighbourhood noise for annoyance. The results are identified individually for children, adults and elderly, acknowledging that each age group is affected by noise in a different way and consequently shows a different pattern of morbidity potentially related to noise subjective exposure.
One of the main conclusions of this work is that for noise induced sleep disturbances, traffic noise annoyance and neighbourhood noise annoyance, the identified health effects are independent of socio-economic status and housing conditions. The elevated relative risks are expressed in the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system and the musculoskeletal system, as well as through depression.
