title: Road-traffic noise: annoyance, risk perception, and noise sensitivity in the Finnish adult population.
abstract: Exposure to road-traffic noise commonly engenders annoyance, the extent of which is determined by factors not fully understood. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence and determinants of road-traffic noise annoyance and noise sensitivity in the Finnish adult population, while comparing the perceptions of road-traffic noise to exhausts as environmental health problems. Using a questionnaire that yielded responses from 1112 randomly selected adult Finnish respondents, we estimated road-traffic noise- and exhausts-related perceived exposures, health-risk perceptions, and self-reported annoyance on five-point scales, while noise sensitivity estimates were based on four questions. Determinants of noise annoyance and sensitivity were investigated using multivariate binary logistic regression and linear regression models, respectively. High or extreme noise annoyance was reported by 17% of respondents. Noise sensitivity scores approximated a Gaussian distribution. Road-traffic noise and exhausts were, respectively, considered high or extreme population-health risks by 22% and 27% of respondents. Knowledge of health risks from traffic noise, OR: 2.04 (1.09-3.82) and noise sensitivity, OR: 1.07 (1.00-1.14) were positively associated with annoyance. Knowledge of health risks (p<0.045) and positive environmental attitudes (p<000) were associated with higher noise sensitivity. Age and sex were associated with annoyance and sensitivity only in bivariate models. A considerable proportion of Finnish adults are highly annoyed by road-traffic noise, and perceive it to be a significant health risk, almost comparable to traffic exhausts. There is no distinct noise-sensitive population subgroup. Knowledge of health risks of road-traffic noise, and attitudinal variables are associated with noise annoyance and sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Protection, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Neulaniementie 4, P.O. Box 95, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland. enembe.okokon@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Enembe Oku
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Okokon
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Protection, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Neulaniementie 4, P.O. Box 95, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland. anu.turunen@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Anu W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Turunen
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Protection, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Neulaniementie 4, P.O. Box 95, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland. sari.ung-lanki@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ung-Lanki
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Protection, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Neulaniementie 4, P.O. Box 95, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland. anna-kaisa.vartiainen@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Anna-Kaisa
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Vartiainen
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Protection, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Neulaniementie 4, P.O. Box 95, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland. pekka.tiittanen@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tiittanen
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Protection, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Neulaniementie 4, P.O. Box 95, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland. timo.lanki@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lanki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001336:Automobiles; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007508:Irritable Mood; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009624:Noise, Transportation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: air pollution; environmental noise; noise annoyance; noise sensitivity; road-traffic exhaust; road-traffic noise