title: [Objective assessment of total noise exposure over 24 hours: a cross-sectional study in Bavaria].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Noise can affect well-being and performance of individuals and might be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. To date most epidemiological studies considered exposure from a single source of noise. The EU Environmental Noise Directive (2002/49/EC) requires a summative measurement of ambient noise. This study aimed to capture the participants' exposure to environmental noise by means of personal noise dosimetry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children (n=628, participation=61%, age 8-12 years), adolescents (n=632, participation=58%, age 13-17 years) and adults (n=482, participation=40%, age 18-65 years) were selected randomly from the population registry of 4 Bavarian towns and were invited to participate in a 24-h measurement using noise dosimetry. Noise exposures during day and night were analyzed separately. In addition, predictors of noise exposure were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For daytime noise exposure mean±standard deviation were in children 80.0±5.8 dB(A), in adolescents 76.0±6.2 dB(A), in adults 72.1±6.1 dB(A) (p(ANOVA)<0.001). During the day personal noise exposure was statistically significantly higher for participants from smaller towns than for those living in Munich, while nighttime noise exposure was highest for participants from Munich [44.1±7.2 dB(A)].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The summative noise exposure in urban Bavaria is high, in particular among children at daytime. Increased exposure levels in children might be caused by themselves while, e.g., playing. Whether the higher daytime exposure in towns is due to high noise levels commuting between home and work has to be assessed in future studies.
authors: AG Arbeits- und Umweltepidemiologie & NetTeaching, Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits-, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin, Klinikum der Universität München.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Weinmann
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Sárközi
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Praml
authors: R
authors: R
authors: von Kries
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Ehrenstein
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Nowak
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Radon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009622:Noise; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013018:Sound Spectrography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult