title: Impact of road traffic noise annoyance on health-related quality of life: results from a population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the impact of traffic-related noise annoyance on health-related quality of life (HrQoL) in a population-based study and potential effect modification by gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 5,021 participants of the Swiss Cohort Study of Air Pollution and Lung Disease in Adults second survey. The association between traffic-related noise annoyance, measured on an 11-point scale, and HrQoL, based on SF-36 scores, was investigated by multivariate regression analysis. Effect sizes were calculated, and interactions by gender and chronic disease status examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen percentage of the study population reported high annoyance due to traffic. Women were more likely to report high noise annoyance (adjOR 1.23; 95%CI 1.01-1.48). Except for general health, all SF-36 scores showed a significant negative association with noise annoyance. The respective effect sizes ranged between 0.13 and 0.54. Significant effect modification by gender and chronic disease status was present in specific SF-36 domains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper presents first evidence of an inverse relationship of noise annoyance and HrQoL in a general population. Although the estimated effects are small to moderate for individuals, they may add up to a relevant public health impact.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at Swiss Tropical Institute, Associated Institute of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. julia.dratva@unibas.ch
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dratva
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zemp
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Felber Dietrich
authors.forename: Pierre-Olivier
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Bridevaux
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rochat
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schindler
authors.forename: Margaret W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Gerbase
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009624:Noise, Transportation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011788:Quality of Life; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult