Association between aircraft, road and railway traffic noise and depression in a large case-control study based on secondary data.
BACKGROUND
Few studies have examined the relationship between traffic noise and depression providing inconclusive results. This large case-control study is the first to assess and directly compare depression risks by aircraft, road traffic and railway noise.


METHODS
The study population included individuals aged ≥40 years that were insured by three large statutory health insurance funds and were living in the region of Frankfurt international airport. Address-specific exposure to aircraft, road and railway traffic noise in 2005 was estimated. Based on insurance claims and prescription data, 77,295 cases with a new clinical depression diagnosis between 2006 and 2010 were compared with 578,246 control subjects.


RESULTS
For road traffic noise, a linear exposure-risk relationship was found with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.17 (95% CI=1.10-1.25) for 24-h continuous sound levels ≥70dB. For aircraft noise, the risk estimates reached a maximum OR of 1.23 (95% CI=1.19-1.28) at 50-55dB and decreased at higher exposure categories. For railway noise, risk estimates peaked at 60-65dB (OR=1.15, 95% CI=1.08-1.22). The highest OR of 1.42 (95% CI=1.33-1.52) was found for a combined exposure to noise above 50dB from all three sources.


CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that traffic noise exposure might lead to depression. As a potential explanation for the decreasing risks at high traffic noise levels, vulnerable people might actively cope with noise (e.g. insulate or move away).
Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: Andreas.Seidler@mailbox.tu-dresden.de.
Andreas
A
Seidler
Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany.
Janice
J
Hegewald
Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany; Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Anna Lene
AL
Seidler
Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany.
Melanie
M
Schubert
Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany.
Mandy
M
Wagner
Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany.
Patrik
P
Dröge
Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany.
Eva
E
Haufe
Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany.
Jochen
J
Schmitt
Institute of Social Medicine and Health Economics, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany.
Enno
E
Swart
Department of Prevention and Evaluation, Leibniz-Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen, Germany.
Hajo
H
Zeeb
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000401:Aircraft; D059028:Airports; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D009624:Noise, Transportation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011890:Railroads
Aircraft noise; Case-control study; Depression; Railway noise; Road traffic noise