title: Annoyance, sleep and concentration problems due to combined traffic noise and the benefit of quiet side.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Access to a quiet side in one's dwelling is thought to compensate for higher noise levels at the most exposed façade. It has also been indicated that noise from combined traffic sources causes more noise annoyance than equal average levels from either road traffic or railway noise separately.
  
  
  METHODS
  2612 persons in Malmö, Sweden, answered to a residential environment survey including questions on outdoor environment, noise sensitivity, noise annoyance, sleep quality and concentration problems. Road traffic and railway noise was modeled using Geographic Information System.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Access to a quiet side, i.e., at least one window facing yard, water or green space, was associated with reduced risk of annoyance OR (95%CI) 0.47 (0.38-0.59), and concentration problems 0.76 (0.61-0.95). Bedroom window facing the same environment was associated to reduced risk of reporting of poor sleep quality 0.78 (0.64-1.00). Railway noise was associated with reduced risk of annoyance below 55 dB(A) but not at higher levels of exposure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Having a window facing a yard, water or green space was associated to a substantially reduced risk of noise annoyance and concentration problems. If this window was the bedroom window, sleeping problems were less likely.
authors: Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden. theo.bodin@med.lu.se.
authors: Theo
authors: T
authors: Bodin
authors: Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden. jonas.bjork@med.lu.se.
authors: Jonas
authors: J
authors: Björk
authors: Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden. Jonas.ardo@nateko.lu.se.
authors: Jonas
authors: J
authors: Ardö
authors: Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden. maria.albin@med.lu.se.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Albin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000786:Anger; D001288:Attention; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006306:Health Surveys; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009624:Noise, Transportation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000517:prevention & control; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012890:Sleep; D013548:Sweden
references: Eur Heart J. 2011 Mar;32(6):737-44
references: 21266374
references: J Acoust Soc Am. 2004 Aug;116(2):949-57
references: 15376661
references: Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2013 Jun;10(6):2258-70
references: 23736655
references: Noise Health. 2007 Jan-Mar;9(34):1-7
references: 17851221
references: Lancet. 2014 Apr 12;383(9925):1325-32
references: 24183105
references: J Acoust Soc Am. 2011 Oct;130(4):1936-42
references: 21973348
references: Noise Health. 2010 Apr-Jun;12(47):110-9
references: 20472956
references: N Engl J Med. 1993 Apr 29;328(17):1230-5
references: 8464434
references: Noise Health. 2008 Apr-Jun;10(39):46-54
references: 18580038
references: J Acoust Soc Am. 2007 Nov;122(5):2642-52
references: 18189556
references: Noise Health. 2000;2(8):71-78
references: 12689464
references: Sleep. 2008 Apr;31(4):569-77
references: 18457245
references: Environ Health. 2012;11(1):14
references: 22404876
references: Environ Health Perspect. 2001 Apr;109(4):409-16
references: 11335190
references: Arch Intern Med. 1994 Oct 10;154(19):2219-24
references: 7944843
references: Br J Psychiatry. 1979 Apr;134:382-9
references: 444788
references: Environ Health Perspect. 2013 Feb;121(2):217-22
references: 23229017
references: Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2012 Dec;9(12):4292-310
references: 23330222
references: J Sleep Res. 1995 Jun;4(S1):150-155
references: 10607192
references: J Hypertens. 2012 Jun;30(6):1075-86
references: 22473017
references: Behav Sleep Med. 2007;5(1):1-20
references: 17313321
references: Sci Total Environ. 2012 May 1;424:48-56
references: 22444069
references: Epidemiology. 2009 Mar;20(2):272-9
references: 19116496
references: Noise Health. 2006 Jan-Mar;8(30):1-29
references: 17513892