Goran Belojevic

Predictors of noise annoyance in noisy and quiet urban streets.

OBJECTIVES Although noise annoyance is a major public health problem in urban areas, there is a lack of published data on predictors for noise annoyance in acoustically different urban environments. The aim of the study was to assess the predictive value of various factors on noise annoyance in noisy and quiet urban streets. METHODS Equivalent noise levels [Leq (dBA)] were measured during day, evening and night times in all of the streets of a central Belgrade municipality. Based on 24-hour noise levels, the streets were denoted as noisy (24-hour Leq over 65 dBA), or quiet (24-hour Leq under 55 dBA). A cross-sectional study was performed on 1954 adult residents (768 men and 1186 women), aged 18-80 years. Noise annoyance was estimated using a self-report five-graded scale. In both areas, two multivariate logistic regression models were fitted: the first one with nighttime noise indicators and the other one with parameters for 24-hour noise exposure. RESULTS In noisy streets, the relevant predictors of high annoyance were: the orientation of living room/bedroom toward the street, noise annoyance at workplace, and noise sensitivity. Significant acoustical factors for high noise annoyance were: nighttime noise level [OR=1.02, 95%CI=1.00-1.04 (per decibel)], nighttime heavy traffic [OR=1.01, 95%CI=1.00-1.02 (per vehicle)]; or day-evening-night noise level (Lden) [OR=1.03, 95%CI=1.00-1.07 (per decibel)]. In quiet streets, the significant predictors were: noise sensitivity, the time spent at home daily, light vehicles at nighttime or heavy vehicles at daytime. CONCLUSIONS Our study identified subjective noise sensitivity as a common annoyance predictor, regardless of noise exposure. Noise levels were important indicators of annoyance only in noisy streets, both for nighttime and 24-hour exposure. We propose that noise sensitivity is the most relevant personal trait for future studies and that nighttime noise levels might be as good as Lden in predicting annoyance in noisy urban areas.

Effects of noise on mental performance with regard to subjective noise sensitivity

SummaryObjective and subjective effects of moderate levels of recorded traffic noise [Leq = 55 dB(A) and 75 dB(A)] on mental performance were studied in a laboratory setting. A total of 45 subjects (23 males and 22 females) were investigated with respect to subjective noise sensitivity (SNS). Four cognitive tasks were applied involving different psychological functions: Short-Term Memory (STM), Search and Memory 5 (SAM 5) (vigilance), Hidden Figures (HF) (spatial reasoning) and Mental Arithmetic (MA) (parallel processing). Three groups of 15 subjects were defined according to their scores on Weinsteins Noise Sensitivity Scale as tolerant, moderately sensitive or highly sensitive to noise. A similar level of performance was observed in the three groups under quiet conditions [30 dB(A) Leq], but under noisy conditions significant differences (P<0.05) were seen between them on the STM (words) and MA (total results) tasks, and the lowest performance accuracy was demonstrated by the noise-sensitive subjects. SNS was the primary factor responsible for these differences. There were no significant differences between the groups in respect of the SAM 5 and HF tasks, under either quiet or noisy conditions. Annoyance while performing tasks under noisy conditions was regularly and significantly higher among subjects judged to be noise sensitive on Weinsteins scale, as compared with those judged to have low or moderate SNS.

Road-traffic noise and factors influencing noise annoyance in an urban population.

Noise annoyance is influenced by sound-related factors: type of noise, noise level and frequency, and person-related factors-physiological, psychological, and social factors. Prior to implementation of the Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council in Serbia, there was a need for the first comprehensive study on noise annoyance in Serbian urban population. The aim of this study was to determine principal factors for high noise annoyance in an adult urban population and to assess their predictive value. A cross-sectional study was performed on 3097 adult residents of a downtown municipality in Belgrade (1217 men and 1880 women), aged 18-96 years. Equivalent noise levels [Leq (dBA)] were measured during day, evening and night in all streets of the municipality. Noise annoyance was estimated using self-reported annoyance scale. Noise annoyance showed strong correlation with noise levels, personal characteristics and some housing conditions. Dose-response relationship was found between the percentage of highly annoyed residents and Lden. Logistic regression model identified increased risk for a high level of noise annoyance with regard to: orientation of living room/bedroom toward the street (Odds Ratio=2.60; 95% Confidence Interval=2.04-3.31), duration of stay at apartment during the day [OR=1.04, 95%CI=1.02-1.06 (per hour)], noise sensitivity [OR=1.04, 95%CI=1.03-1.04 (per scale unit)], and nighttime road-traffic noise level [OR=1.03, 95%CI=1.02-1.04 (per decibel)].

Subjective reactions to traffic noise with regard to some personality traits

An interview method with specific questions concerning sleep, psychological disturbances, and behavior was applied to a sample of 413 residents in the center of Belgrade. In the noisy area (Leq > 65 dB (A)), there were 253 interviewed inhabitants, and 160 interviews were performed in the control zone (Leq < 55 dB (A)). Noise annoyance was measured on a ten-graded numeric scale. The Weinsteins Noise Sensitivity Scale was used to assess general sensitivity to noise. Personality traits of extroversion and neuroticism were investigated with the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Sleep quality was found to be worse among the inhabitants of noisy streets, compared to the control zone. The specific sleep disturbances were: difficulties in falling asleep (P < 0.05), awakenings (P < 0.001), tiredness after awakening (P < 0.01), and poor subjective sleep quality (P = 0.01). The following psychological disturbances were more frequently found in the noisy area: headache (P < 0.05), nervousness (P < 0.05), fatigue and the feeling of depression (P < 0.01). Behavioral effects of noise were: more frequent intention to change the place of living (P < 0.001), shortening the daily period of open windows (P < 0.001), and worse interpersonal relationship between dwellers (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that subjective noise sensitivity and neuroticism significantly and positively influenced the morning effects of traffic noise (P < 0.01). There was no significant mediating effect of extro-introversion on subjective reactions to noise.

Nighttime Road-Traffic Noise and Arterial Hypertension in an Urban Population

Commonly used daytime measurements in previous investigations on community noise and arterial hypertension (AH) may be a source of exposure bias, as urban residents spend most of their daytime hours out of the home on workdays. For this reason, we focused on the relation of nighttime noise and AH. A cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 2,503 (995 men and 1,508 women) adult residents of a downtown Belgrade municipality. The inclusion criteria were a period of residence longer than 10 years and a bedroom oriented toward the street. The exclusion criteria were a high level of noise annoyance at work and diseases related to AH. Noise measurements were performed in all 70 streets of the municipality. The streets were grouped into noisy areas (equivalent noise level [Leq;[gt;45 dB(A)) and quiet areas (Leq≤45 dB(A)). The residents were interviewed in regard to antihypertensive therapy. Subjects who responded that they had not received such therapy were contacted for blood pressure measurements with mercury sphygmomanometer. Possible confounding factors: family history of AH, age, body mass index, smoking habits, physical activity and alcohol consumption were controlled for. The proportions of men with AH in the noisy and quiet areas were 23.6% and 17.5%, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for AH was 1.58; the 95% confidence interval (CI) ranged from 1.03–2.42; and the probability value was 0.038, when men living in quiet streets were taken as a reference category. This relation was statistically insignificant for women: adjusted OR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.59–1.38; p: 0.644. This cross-sectional study showed that nighttime urban road-traffic noise might be related to occurrence of AH in men.

Epidemiological studies on noise and blood pressure in children: Observations and suggestions

OBJECTIVE The goal of this review was to investigate methodological differences in studies on the effects of aircraft or road-traffic noise on blood pressure (BP) of urban children, emphasizing the similarities and differences in blood pressure measurements. METHODS A literature search has identified eight peer-reviewed studies, four conference proceedings and one PhD thesis on the effects of aircraft or road-traffic noise on childrens blood pressure published in English in the last 30 years. Most of the studies were cross-sectional, and four studies were longitudinal, with follow-up period from one to three years. The studies were analyzed according to the following methodological issues: study design, childrens characteristics, noise exposure assessment and blood pressure measurements. The effects of noise on systolic and diastolic pressure were presented in detail. RESULTS Studies on aircraft noise had more uniform methodology, indicating a slight tendency towards a positive relationship between aircraft noise exposure and BP in children. The studies on road-traffic noise were methodologically diverse, but compared to aircraft noise studies they showed a more uniform trend in the direction of a positive relationship with systolic BP. The time, place and number of BP measurements, as well as the devices and cuff sizes varied among the studies. Childrens age, gender, body composition and ethnicity, and socio-economic status remain the greatest source of diversity in BP values. CONCLUSIONS The reviewed studies were methodologically diverse concerning noise exposure assessment, BP measurement, study design and control for confounders. In spite of this, they indicate a tendency toward positive association between noise exposure and childrens blood pressure. We recommended strategies that might help researchers adopt similar procedures when measuring BP in future field studies.

A new model of bioterrorism risk assessment.

There has been an abundance of different bioterrorist attack scenarios and consequently an unclear biodefense strategy so far. We present a framework for bioterrorism risk assessment that we believe would be useful for policymakers and understandable without needing to be an expert in this field. We retrieved the Medline database via PubMed (from January 1987 to January 2009) and cross-referenced and reviewed the terms biological weapons, biological attacks, bioterror, bio(defense), bio(strategy) and epidemiologic models, and risk assessment. Additionally, we conducted an internet search with the same terms and strategy. We divided bioterrorist attacks into 3 categories: strategical (large-scale), operational (middle-scale), and tactical (small-scale). A bioterrorist attack is presented as a 4-component chain model, including perpetrators, agents, means of delivery, and targets. For any of these 4 components, we propose quantitative and qualitative risk assessment parameters. Here we present a simple scoring system within our model applied to the 2001 U.S. anthrax attacks.

Left handedness and spine deformities in early adolescence

The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between laterality and spine deformities in early adolescence, with special reference to sex differences. Interviews, anthropometric measurements and clinical examinations of body posture were carried out on a sample of 2546 schoolchildren, aged from 11 to 14 years, in seven elementary schools in the centre of Belgrade. Possible confounding factors (age, sex, body weight and body height) were controlled for. The overall prevalence of spine deformities (scoliosis and/or thoracic hyperkyphosis) in the investigated population was 11.8%, out of which there were 7.8% adolescents with scoliosis, 4.0% with thoracic hyperkyphosis, and 0.3% with both spine deformities. The prevalence of scoliosis was 2.7 times higher in girls compared to boys (11.7% vs. 4.3%) while the prevalence of thoracic hyperkyphosis was 1,6 higher among boys (5.0% vs. 3.2%). We found 7.6% of the schoolchildren examined to be left-handed. Left handedness was significantly related to scoliosis in girls (crude OR=1.60 and 95% confidence interval=1.01–2.54). Multivariate analysis showed that significant independent factors for scoliosis were female sex (p < 0.001), age (p=0.01) and left handedness (p=0.02). We did not find any appreciable relation between left handedness and thoracic hyperkyphosis in both sexes.

Escherichia coli O104:H4 outbreak in Germany—clarification of the origin of the epidemic

BACKGROUND In 2011, Germany was hit by one of its largest outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome caused by a new emerging enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O104:H4 strain. The German Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome/Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (GHUSEC) outbreak had unusual microbiological, infectiological and epidemiological features and its origin is still only partially solved. The aim of this article is to contribute to the clarification of the origin of the epidemic. METHODS To retrospectively assess whether the GHUSEC outbreak was natural, accidental or a deliberate one, we analysed it according to three published scoring and differentiation models. Data for application of these models were obtained by literature review in the database Medline for the period 2011-13. RESULTS The analysis of the unusual GHUSEC outbreak shows that the present official assumption of its natural origin is questionable and pointed out to a probability that the pathogen could have also been introduced accidentally or intentionally in the food chain. CONCLUSION The possibility of an accidental or deliberate epidemic should not be discarded. Further epidemiological, microbiological and forensic analyses are needed to clarify the GHUSEC outbreak.

Effects of Traffic Noise on Sleep in an Urban Population

Effects of Traffic Noise on Sleep in an Urban Population Urban noise is an important environmental stressor, and sleep disturbance is its major health effect. Substantial inter-individual variance in these effects might partly be explained by different sensitivity to noise. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of urban noise on sleep and the relation between self-estimated sensitivity to noise and sleep disturbance. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was performed on 911 adult residents of Niš, Serbia, of whom 388 were men (42.6 %) and 523 women (57.4 %). The streets were regarded as noisy if night equivalent noise level (Leq) was higher than 45 dB(A) and quiet if night Leq was ≤45 dB(A). Noise sensitivity was measured with the Weinsteins Noise Sensitivity Scale. The study showed that respondents from noisy area significantly more often reported difficulty in falling asleep, being woken up, poor sleep quality, tiredness after sleep, and use of sleep medication than residents from quiet streets (p<0.001). Noise sensitivity significantly correlated with sleep disturbances (p<0.001). Djelovanje prometne buke na spavanje gradskoga stanovništva Gradska buka je važan ekološki stresni činilac, a poremećaji spavanja su njezin najvažniji učinak na zdravlje ljudi. Velika interindividualna varijacija ovih učinaka može se djelomično objasniti osobnom osjetljivošću na buku. Cilj ove studije bio je procijeniti utjecaj gradske buke na spavanje i povezanost osobne procjene osjetljivosti na buku s poremećajima spavanja. Studija presjeka putem upitnika provedena je na 911 odraslih stanovnika Niša, Srbija, od čega 388 muških (42,6%) i 523 ženska (57,4%). Upotrijebljen je upitnik o poremećajima spavanja. Osjetljivost na buku mjerena je Weinsteinovom skalom osjetljivosti na buku. Na osnovi rezultata mjerenja buke, ulice grada Niša označene su kao bučne [noćni ekvivalentni nivo buke (Leq)>45 dB(A)] i kao tihe [noćni Leq≤45 dB(A)]. Studija je pokazala da su ispitanici iz bučnih ulica izjavili da imaju značajno više teškoća u uspavljivanju, više buđenja, slabiju subjektivnu kvalitetu spavanja, izraženiji umor poslije spavanja i da češće uzimaju lijekove za uspavljivanje u usporedbi sa stanovnicima iz tihih ulica (p<0,001). Osjetljivost na buku je bila značajno povezana s poremećajima spavanja (p<0,001).