title: Noise and somatic symptoms: A role for personality traits?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the role of a stress-sensitive personality on relations between noise, noise annoyance and somatic symptom reporting. First, we investigated the cross-sectional association of road traffic noise exposure and somatic symptoms, and its modification by hostility and vulnerability to stress. Second, we investigated the cross-sectional association of noise annoyance from eight sources (e.g. road traffic, aircraft, neighbours) and somatic symptoms, and it's confounding by hostility and vulnerability to stress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from LifeLines, a general population cohort from the Netherlands. Road traffic noise was estimated using the Common Noise Assessment Methods in Europe (CNOSSOS-EU) noise model. Noise annoyance, hostility, vulnerability to stress, and somatic symptoms were assessed with validated questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Poisson regression models adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic variables indicated no association of noise exposure and somatic symptoms (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.001; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.000-1.001; n=56,937). Interactions of noise exposure and hostility and vulnerability to stress were not statistically significant. Small positive associations were found for noise annoyance from each of the eight sources and somatic symptoms, when adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic variables (e.g. for road traffic noise annoyance IRR 1.014, 95% CI 1.011-1.018; n=6177). Additional adjustment for hostility and vulnerability to stress resulted in small decreases of the IRRs for noise annoyance from each of the eight sources, but the associations remained statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Personality facets hostility and vulnerability to stress did not modify the relation between road traffic noise exposure and somatic symptom reporting, or confound relations between noise annoyance and symptoms.
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: w.l.zijlema@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Zijlema
authors.affiliation: MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Morley
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Stolk
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Psychiatry, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation (ICPE), Groningen, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Internal Medicine, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J G M
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Rosmalen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009624:Noise, Transportation / Q000009:adverse effects; D010551:Personality; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Hostility; Neuroticism; Noise annoyance; Road traffic noise; Somatic symptoms; Vulnerability to stress