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Psychological Medicine Psychological Medicine

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Chronic aircraft noise exposure, stress responses, mental health and cognitive performance in school children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 April 2001

M. M. HAINES ,
S. A. STANSFELD ,
R. F. S. JOB ,
B. BERGLUND  and
J. HEAD
M. M. HAINES
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, St Bartholomew's and The Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary and Westfield College and Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London and the Royal Free Medical School, London; Department of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; and Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Stockholm, Sweden
S. A. STANSFELD
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, St Bartholomew's and The Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary and Westfield College and Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London and the Royal Free Medical School, London; Department of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; and Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Stockholm, Sweden
R. F. S. JOB
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, St Bartholomew's and The Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary and Westfield College and Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London and the Royal Free Medical School, London; Department of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; and Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Stockholm, Sweden
B. BERGLUND
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, St Bartholomew's and The Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary and Westfield College and Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London and the Royal Free Medical School, London; Department of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; and Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Stockholm, Sweden
J. HEAD
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, St Bartholomew's and The Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary and Westfield College and Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London and the Royal Free Medical School, London; Department of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; and Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Stockholm, Sweden
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Abstract

Background. Previous research suggests that children are a high risk group vulnerable to the effects of chronic noise exposure. However, questions remain about the nature of the noise effects and the underlying causal mechanisms. This study addresses the effects of aircraft noise exposure on children around London Heathrow airport, in terms of stress responses, mental health and cognitive performance. The research also focuses on the underlying causal mechanisms contributing to the cognitive effects and potential confounding factors.

Methods. The cognitive performance and health of 340 children aged 8–11 years attending four schools in high aircraft noise areas (16h outdoor Leq>66dBA) was compared with children attending four matched control schools exposed to lower levels of aircraft noise (16h outdoor Leq<57dBA). Mental health and cognitive tests were group administered to the children in the schools. Salivary cortisol was measured in a subsample of children.

Results. Chronic aircraft noise exposure was associated with higher levels of noise annoyance and poorer reading comprehension measured by standardized scales with adjustments for age, deprivation and main language spoken. Chronic aircraft noise was not associated with mental health problems and raised cortisol secretion. The association between aircraft noise exposure and reading comprehension could not be accounted for by the mediating role of annoyance, confounding by social class, deprivation, main language or acute noise exposure.

Conclusions.These results suggest that chronic aircraft noise exposure is associated with impaired reading comprehension and high levels of noise annoyance but not mental health problems in children.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 31 , Issue 2 , February 2001 , pp. 265 - 277
Copyright
© 2001 Cambridge University Press

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