title: The ecological context of soundscapes for children's blood pressure.
abstract: Although the majority of studies on community noise levels and children's physiological stress responses are positive, effect sizes vary considerably, and some studies do not confirm these effects. Employing a contextual perspective congruent with soundscapes, a carefully constructed sample of children (N = 115, M = 10.1 yr) living in households in relatively high (>60 dBA) or low (<50 dBA) noise areas created by proximity to major traffic arterials in Austria was reanalyzed. Several personal and environmental factors known to affect resting cardiovascular parameters measured under well-controlled, clinical conditions were incorporated into the analyses. Children with premature births and elevated chronic stress (i.e., overnight cortisol) were more susceptible to adverse blood pressure responses to road traffic noise. Residence in a multi-dwelling unit as well as standardized assessments of perceived quietness of the area did not modify the traffic noise impacts but each had its own, independent effect on resting blood pressure. A primary air pollutant associated with traffic volume (NO2) had no influence on any of these results. The scope of environmental noise assessment and management would benefit from incorporation of a more contextualized approach as suggested by the soundscape perspective.
authors.affiliation: Division of Social Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Sonnenburgstrasse 16, A-6020 Innsbruck. Austria. peter.lercher@i-med.ac.at
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lercher
authors.forename: Gary W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Widmann
mesh_terms: D001317:Austria; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D004522:Educational Status; D004782:Environmental Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D009624:Noise, Transportation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone