title: Exposure to road traffic noise and children's behavioural problems and sleep disturbance: results from the GINIplus and LISAplus studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exposure to transportation noise showed negative health effects in children and adults. Studies in children mainly focussed on aircraft noise at school.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate road traffic noise exposure at home and children's behavioural problems and sleeping problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  872 10-year-old children from Munich from two German population-based, birth-cohort studies with data on modelled façade noise levels at home and behavioural problems were included. Noise was assessed by the day-evening-night noise indicator Lden and the night noise indicator Lnight. Behavioural problems were assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). A subgroup (N=287) had information on sleeping problems. Continuation ratio models (logistic regression models) adjusted for various covariates were applied to investigate the association between interquartile range increases in noise and SDQ scales (sleeping problems).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Noise measured by Lden at the most exposed façade of the building was related to more hyperactivity/inattention (continuation odds ratio (cOR)=1.28(95%-confidence interval(CI):1.03-1.58). Noise at the least exposed façade increased the relative odds for having borderline or abnormal values on the emotional symptoms scale, especially the relative odds to have abnormal values for a subject with at least borderline values (Lden:cOR=2.19(95% CI:1.32-3.64). Results for Lnight were similar. Nocturnal noise at the least exposed façade was associated with any sleeping problems (odds ratio (OR)=1.79(95% CI=1.10-2.92)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Road traffic noise exposure at home may be related to increased hyperactivity and more emotional symptoms in children. Future longitudinal studies are required to explore noise exposure and behavioural problems in more detail, especially the role of sleep disturbances.
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Epidemiology I, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Carla M T
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tiesler
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Birk
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thiering
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kohlböck
authors.forename: Sibylle
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koletzko
authors.forename: Carl-Peter
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berdel
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Berg
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Babisch
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heinrich
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012890:Sleep; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology