title: Stress and odor sensitivity in persons with noise sensitivity.
abstract: Previous research has indicated that sensory sensitivity/intolerance to a specific modality may be part of a more general environmental hypersensitivity, and possibly mediated by stress. This study investigated the relationship between noise sensitivity, perceived stress, and odor sensitivity in a group of men. A quasi-experimental design was used. One-hundred and thirty-four male undergraduate students completed Weinstein's noise sensitivity scale from which a low-sensitivity group (n = 16) and a high-sensitivity (n = 16) group were formed. These two groups were screened for loss in auditory and olfactory detection sensitivity, and completed the perceived stress questionnaire (PSQ) and the chemical sensitivity scale (CSS). One-way analysis of variance and Spearman correlational analyses were performed. Significantly higher scores on the PSQ (P < 0.05) and the CSS (P < 0.05) were found in the high noise-sensitivity group compared to the low noise-sensitivity group. These findings raise the question of whether the relation between noise and odor sensitivity reflects a general environmental sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. steven.nordin@psy.umu.edu
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nordin
authors.forename: Jessica Korning
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Ljungberg
authors.forename: Anna-Sara
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Claeson
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Neely
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018876:Environmental Illness / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018777:Multiple Chemical Sensitivity / Q000150:complications; D009622:Noise; D009812:Odorants; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult