Although the adverse auditory effects of noise have been the focus of
occupational health research for decades, little is known about the nonauditory health
effects that result from noise exposure. The focus of this research was the
nonauditory health effects of exposure to commercial aircraft noise (CAN)
overflights. It was theorized that CAN exposure resulted in an ongoing stress-response
that had the potential to be harmful to human health over time. Two
aspects of CAN were considered; the sound level intensity (dBA), and the frequency
of overflights.
Data were collected by a stratified random sampling design in the CAN
exposed neighborhoods of Eagan, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Bloomington, and in
control communities of Shoreview and Mounds View, all located in Minnesota
(n=4000). A written questionnaire was used to measure; (1) health (MOS-36 Scale),
(2) behavioral and emotional coping strategies, (3) noise sensitivity, (4) annoyance
levels, and (5) demographic data. Aircraft noise levels and overflight data were
obtained in cooperation with the Metropolitan Airport Sound Abatement
Commission.
Results showed significantly higher stress levels and lower health measures by
CAN exposure type. These findings occurred primarily in communities exposed to
high frequencies of aircraft overflights. Multivariate analysis revealed significant
reductions for the three main health measures of General Health (GH), Sense of
Vitality (Vitality), and Mental Health (MH), based on CAN exposure type. Post-hoc
contrast analysis indicated that GH, Vitality, and MH scores were worst with high
frequency of overflights.
Behavioral copers had significantly fewer stress symptoms and used fewer
stress medications than non-behavioral copers. Non-normalized emotional copers
had significant negative associations with Gil, Vitality, and MH; however, these
correlations were weak. Noise sensitivity levels were not significantly different
among the CAN exposed communities; however noise annoyance levels were
significantly higher than controls, and were the highest with high frequency of
overflights.
Finally, multivariate analysis of covariance indicated significant reduction for
health measures based on CAN exposure types after adjusting for all effect modifiers
(covariates) in the study. Vitality was the most consistently impacted by CAN
exposure, and this was particularly the case for subjects exposed to high frequency of
aircraft overflights. / Graduation date: 1996
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/34614 |
| Date | 29 April 1996 |
| Creators | Meister, Edward A. |
| Contributors | Donatelle, Rebecca J. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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