Noise & Health最新文献

Background: Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is among the most common occupational health conditions worldwide. In South Africa, thousands of informal taxi drivers are chronically exposed to high traffic and environmental noise; however, data on their hearing health, awareness of audiology or access to hearing conservation programmes are lacking.

Objective: This study investigated occupational noise exposure, auditory and nonauditory symptoms, knowledge of hearing risks and health-seeking behaviours among minibus taxi drivers in Johannesburg.

Methods: A cross-sectional, quantitative design was used. Eighty-six male taxi drivers completed structured questionnaires on demographics, work history, exposure, symptoms, knowledge and health-seeking behaviour. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and logistic regression.

Results: All participants were male. Most firstly, encountered occupational noise between the ages 20 and 30 and worked 12-16 hours daily, with 16-37 years of cumulative exposure. Tinnitus (64%) and hearing difficulties (40%) were the most common, with 78% noticing hearing changes during peak hours. Noise exposure was significantly associated with tinnitus, hearing difficulties, diabetes, perceived hearing changes and the belief that noise affects work. Logistic regression identified tinnitus [odds ratio (OR) = 1634] and hearing difficulties (OR = 166) as the strongest predictors of hearing change. Only 27% had undergone hearing testing, and over half were unaware of audiologists' roles. Knowledge of hearing risks and audiology was linked to high testing uptake.

Conclusions: Johannesburg taxi drivers are at high risk for NIHL because of chronic exposure, long shifts and lack of protective measures. Limited awareness of audiology and poor health-seeking behaviour further increase vulnerability.

Anxiety and sleep disturbances frequently coexist due to common autonomic dysregulation. This review emphasises wind-instrument training as an intervention that integrates intentional breath regulation with self-produced auditory feedback to influence vagal tone and maintain arousal stability. We performed a systematic review and mechanistic analysis, querying PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library (2000-2024) for clinical and experimental studies on wind-instrument training, and synthesised pathways connecting respiration, auditory processing and autonomic regulation. Initial evidence indicates a decrease in anxiety symptoms, enhancements in heart-rate variability and a reduction in nocturnal awakenings; nevertheless, the majority of studies are limited in size and duration, necessitating larger multi-centre trials. Incorporating wind-instrument practice into therapeutic frameworks may enhance existing non-pharmacological strategies by aligning respiratory pacing with consistent and self-produced sound, providing a physiological mechanism for improved emotional regulation and sleep.

Objective: This study aimed to analyse the effects of integrated music relaxation therapy and Snyder's hope theory-based nursing on the psychological and physical status of postoperative patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods: This retrospective study analysed 128 patients with breast cancer who underwent radical mastectomy (RM) with adjuvant chemotherapy (August 2022-August 2024), stratified by nursing protocol timing: control (n = 45, routine care, August 2022-April 2023), hope (n = 42, routine care + Snyder's hope theory-based nursing, May-December 2023) and music groups (n = 41, routine care + hope theory nursing + music relaxation therapy, January-August 2024). The cancer-related fatigue status [Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS)], subjective well-being [Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)], coping styles [Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ)], health behaviours [Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II (HPLP-II)] and readiness to return to work [Readiness for Return-to-Work (RRTW) scale] of the three groups were compared before and after four chemotherapy cycles of nursing.

Results: After four chemotherapy cycles of nursing, the CFS score, MCMQ avoidance and resignation dimension scores of the music group were lower than those of the conventional and hope groups, whereas the SWLS, MCMQ confrontation dimension, HPLP-II and RRTW scores were higher. The CFS score, MCMQ avoidance and resignation dimension scores of the hope group were lower than those of the conventional group, whereas the SWLS, MCMQ confrontation dimension, HPLP-II and RRTW scores were higher (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: The integrated caring method of music relaxation therapy and Snyder's hope theory-based nursing may contribute to alleviating cancer-related fatigue, enhancing subjective well-being and health-promoting behaviours, potentially facilitating adaptive coping strategies and improving return-to-work readiness in patients post-RM chemotherapy.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of white noise combined with sensory stimulation nursing on compliance and stress response in young children undergoing rigid nasopharyngoscopy examination.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 400 children aged 2-6 years who underwent rigid nasopharyngoscopy at our hospital between June 2023 and June 2024. The patients were stratified into a white noise and sensory stimulation nursing group (n = 200) or standard nursing group (n = 200) in accordance with the nursing care protocol implemented during their examination period. Outcome measures included procedural restraint assessed by the procedural restraint intensity in children (PRIC) scale, salivary cortisol levels, heart rate variability parameters and behavioural distress assessed by the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) scale. Parental satisfaction was evaluated using the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ-18).

Results: Baseline characteristics demonstrated intergroup equivalence (P > 0.05). Compared with the standard nursing group, the white noise and sensory stimulation nursing group showed significantly better compliance with lower PRIC scores (P < 0.001), reduced salivary cortisol levels (P < 0.001), improved heart rate variability parameters (P < 0.001), significantly lower behavioural distress scores on the FLACC scale (P < 0.001), shorter examination time (P < 0.001) and higher PSQ-18 satisfaction scores (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Our retrospective analysis suggests that white noise combined with sensory stimulation nursing may be associated with reduced procedural restraint and stress response in young children undergoing rigid nasopharyngoscopy, representing a potential non-pharmacological approach for paediatric procedural anxiety management.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effects of different environments in which information is given to increase parents' awareness of oral health.

Methods: This work was conducted on nonrandomized parents of 192 children aged 6 to 12 years who visited the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Baskent University between April and September 2024. A pretest was performed to measure demographic data (age and gender of volunteer child and parent, education level of parent, and socioeconomic status) and to assess oral health information. The first group received verbal education in a quiet environment isolated from the clinic; the second group received verbal education in a crowded clinic environment; and the third group received video-assisted education in a quiet environment. Then, a posttest was administered to all groups.

Results: All evaluated groups showed a statistically significant increase in their posttest scores (P = 0.001). In pairwise comparisons, the mean correct answer scores in the posttest applied after education in background noise and crowded environment were statistically significantly lower than those in the quiet environment (P = 0.029).

Conclusion: Oral health education led to an increase in parental awareness, as measured by the pre- and posttest scores assessing knowledge on oral hygiene, preventive care, and general dental practices, regardless of whether it was delivered in a quiet or noisy clinical environment, or through a video-assisted presentation. However, the effectiveness of the education, as indicated by the increase in scores, was comparable between the quiet environment and video-assisted groups.

Objective: To examine the biological pathways underlying occupational noise-induced depression by assessing the association between noise duration and depression and the mediating role of systemic inflammation.

Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 17,712 US adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Occupational noise exposure duration (no exposure for >15 years), depression risk (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire ≥ 10), and systemic inflammation (systemic inflammation response index [SIRI]) were assessed. Weighted multivariable logistic regression estimated noise-depression associations across three sequential models: crude, confounder-adjusted, and mediator-adjusted (log-transformed SIRI [lnSIRI]). Mediation (bootstrapping), subgroup, and sensitivity analyses were performed, with sensitivity analysis adjusting for nonoccupational noise, occupational type, and other inflammatory biomarkers.

Results: Each ordinal increase in noise exposure duration predicted a 9.0% higher depression risk (odds ratios = 1.090, P = 0.005) after covariate adjustment, demonstrating a dose-response effect. The association persisted across most subgroups but was attenuated among divorced/widowed individuals (Pinteraction = 0.027). lnSIRI mediated 4.0% of the total effect of occupational noise (B = 0.008, 95% CI = 0.003-0.014). Associations remained robust in all sensitivity analyses adjusting for nonoccupational noise, occupational type, and other inflammatory biomarkers.

Conclusion: These findings establish occupational noise as a modifiable neuroimmunological risk factor. Integrated workplace interventions targeting acoustic stress and inflammatory pathways may mitigate depression risk.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate music therapy effects on perioperative anxiety and postoperative sleep quality in patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery for lumbar disc herniation (LDH).

Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy or laser disc decompression between January 2020 and January 2025. The patients were divided into music therapy group (n = 108) and routine care group (n = 92) according to the clinical management they received during hospitalisation. The music therapy group received music therapy and standard care, and the routine care group received standard care. The primary outcomes were state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). The secondary outcomes consisted of physiological parameters, stress biomarkers, pain levels, patient satisfaction, complication rate and recovery parameters.

Results: At the 30-minute pre-operation timepoint, the music therapy group showed remarkably smaller increases in anxiety scores compared with the routine care group. At the 3rd day of hospitalisation, the music therapy group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in STAI and PSQI scores compared with the routine care group (both P < 0.05). The visual analogue scale scores for pain level were greatly reduced in the music therapy group (P < 0.05), whereas the patient satisfaction questionnaire-18 scores were higher (P < 0.05). Although the frequencies of individual complications are similar (all P >0.05), there are differences in the overall incidence of complications (P = 0.009).

Conclusion: Music therapy represents an effective adjunctive caring method associated with improvements in perioperative anxiety, postoperative sleep quality and recovery outcomes in patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery for LDH. The findings support the integration of music therapy into standard perioperative care protocols to optimise patient experience and clinical outcomes.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the influence of ambient noise levels on postoperative psychological state, ankle function, and quality of life in individuals who underwent ankle fracture surgery, thereby offering scientific support for optimizing the postoperative rehabilitation environment.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 123 patients (55 in the high-noise group, ≥ 55 dB; 68 in the low-noise group, < 55 dB) who underwent open reduction and internal fixation from January 2022 to March 2023. Assessments included the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), and Olerud-Molander Ankle Score (OMAS). Statistical analyses included non-parametric tests, Spearman's correlation, and adjusted analyses (analysis of covariance and multivariate regression), controlling for confounders.

Results: Unadjusted analyses showed that the high-noise group had significantly higher SAS (40.41 ± 4.25 vs. 35.15 ± 3.61, P < 0.001) and SDS scores (46.55 and S vs. 42.63 and S, P < 0.001) but lower AOFAS (65.47 ± 6.45 vs. 69.71 ± 6.94, P < 0.001) and OMAS scores (64.47 ± 6.78 vs. 69.27 ± 7.37, P = 0.005). After this study adjusted for confounders, these differences remained significant (adjusted mean differences: SAS = 5.23, SDS = 9.89, AOFAS = -4.19, OMAS = -4.76, all P < 0.05). Noise levels were moderately positively correlated with anxiety (r = 0.376, P = 0.021) and negatively correlated with ankle function (r = -0.271, P = 0.002), with similar associations in multivariate regression (SAS: β = 0.352, P = 0.028; AOFAS: β = -0.214, P = 0.023).

Conclusion: High-noise environments exacerbate postoperative anxiety, delay functional recovery, and reduce quality of life. Clinicians should optimize rehabilitation environments and adopt multidisciplinary interventions to improve outcomes.

Objective: Investigate the effect of implementing a multidirectional noise control programme on the rehabilitation outcomes of hospitalised haemato-oncological patients.

Methods: The clinical data of haemato-oncological patients who received their first chemotherapy treatment in Ganzhou People's Hospital between March 2022 and February 2024 were retrospectively analysed. The patients were categorised into the noise reduction group and the conventional group in accordance with whether they had received the multidirectional noise control programme during their hospitalisation. A total of 72 cases were included in the final noise reduction group and 73 cases in the conventional group. The measurement of the acoustic environment in the wards of both groups and the monitoring of various serological indicators, such as the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), were used to evaluate the clinical effects of the multidirectional noise control programme. In addition, patient satisfaction with health care services was evaluated using the Inpatient Satisfaction and Experience Monitoring scale.

Results: After the implementation of the noise control intervention, the ward noise levels of the noise reduction group were significantly lower than those of the conventional group (P < 0.001). After the intervention, the noise reduction group exhibited significantly lower levels of norepinephrine, adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol compared with those of the conventional group (P < 0.05). The GHQ-12 and PSQI scores of the patients in the noise reduction group were significantly lower than those of the patients in the conventional group after the end of the programme (P < 0.001). In addition, the satisfaction scores with the clinical medical services of the patients in the noise reduction group were significantly higher than those of the patients in the conventional group (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Systematic noise management significantly improved the sleep quality and mood and stress levels of haemato-oncological inpatients whilst enhancing medical satisfaction.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of operating room (OR) noise management on intraoperative somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) stability and postoperative pain management among patients undergoing spinal surgery.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 158 patients undergoing spinal surgery between March 2023 and December 2024. Participants were stratified into high-noise exposure (conventional OR environment, n = 78) and low-noise exposure groups (noise-controlled OR environment, n = 80) based on implemented noise management protocols. Noise exposure levels, intraoperative SSEP parameters (latency, central conduction time (CCT), peak amplitude, and signal-to-noise ratio), postoperative pain scores measured using a visual analog scale, analgesic consumption, patient satisfaction measured by Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18, functional recovery assessed by Spine Functional Index-25, and recovery outcomes were compared between groups.

Results: The high-noise exposure group had significantly impaired SSEP stability with increased prolonged SSEP latencies and CCTs than the low-noise exposure group (P < 0.001). The high-noise exposure group demonstrated significantly higher postoperative pain scores, increased analgesic consumption, prolonged hospital stays, and lower patient satisfaction scores (all P < 0.001). Although functional impairment was greater in the high-noise group at discharge (P < 0.001), both groups achieved comparable functional recovery at 1-month follow-up (P > 0.05). Postoperative complications showed no significant difference between the groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: Management of OR noise is associated with improved intraoperative SSEP monitoring stability and reduced postoperative pain in spinal surgery patients. Noise-controlled environments may enhance early recovery without affecting complication rates. Results support the implementation of systematic noise reduction protocols in perioperative care.