title: An assessment of quality of life using the WHOQOL-BREF among participants living in the vicinity of wind turbines.
abstract: Living within the vicinity of wind turbines may have adverse impacts on health measures associated with quality of life (QOL). There are few studies in this area and inconsistent findings preclude definitive conclusions regarding the impact that exposure to wind turbine noise (WTN) may have on QOL. In the current study (officially titled the Community Noise and Health Study or CNHS), the World Health Organization QOL-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire provided an evaluation of QOL in relation to WTN levels among randomly selected participants aged 18-79 (606 males, 632 females) living between 0.25 and 11.22 km from wind turbines (response rate 78.9%). In the multiple regression analyses, WTN levels were not found to be related to scores on the Physical, Psychological, Social or Environment domains, or to rated QOL and Satisfaction with Health questions. However, some wind turbine-related variables were associated with scores on the WHOQOL-BREF, irrespective of WTN levels. Hearing wind turbines for less than one year (compared to not at all and greater than one year) was associated with improved (i.e. higher) scores on the Psychological domain (p=0.0108). Lower scores on both the Physical and Environment domains (p=0.0218 and p=0.0372, respectively), were observed among participants reporting high visual annoyance toward wind turbines. Personal benefit from having wind turbines in the area was related to higher scores on the Physical domain (p=0.0417). Other variables significantly related to one or more domains, included sex, age, marital status, employment, education, income, alcohol consumption, smoking status, chronic diseases and sleep disorders. Collectively, results do not support an association between exposure to WTN up to 46 dBA and QOL assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire.
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Katya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Feder
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: david.michaud@hc-sc.gc.ca.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Michaud
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Stephen E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Keith
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer & Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Sonia A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Voicescu
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Leonora
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marro
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Than
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guay
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Environmental Health Program, Health Programs Branch, Regions and Programs Bureau, 1505 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Denning
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Office of Science Policy, Liaison and Coordination, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Tara J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Bower
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Air Health Science Division, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lavigne
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, c/o Carlington Community Health Center, 900 Merivale Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Whelan
authors.affiliation: GGD Amsterdam Public Health Service, Environmental Health Department, Nieuwe Achtergracht 100, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frits
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van den Berg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004736:Energy-Generating Resources; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014919:Wind; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Annoyance; Cross-sectional study; Quality of life; WHOQOL-BREF; Wind turbine noise