Noise & Health最新文献

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of acupuncture, receptive music therapy and their combination for managing noise-induced sleep disorders amongst healthcare workers.

Methods: This research represents a retrospective cohort analysis of 145 healthcare workers with noise-induced sleep disorders (January 2023-December 2024). The participants received conventional pharmacological treatment (n = 45), acupuncture monotherapy (n = 52) or combined acupuncture-music therapy (n = 48) for 8 weeks.

Primary outcomes: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), polysomnographic parameter.

Secondary outcomes: salivary cortisol, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and the World Health Organization's Quality of Life-BREF.

Results: Combined therapy demonstrated superior outcomes, with PSQI scores decreasing from 9.47 ± 2.13 to 5.82 ± 1.65 (Δ = -3.65, P < 0.001) and sleep efficiency improving from 68.35 ± 8.42% to 84.73 ± 6.28% (P < 0.001). Acupuncture monotherapy achieved comparable results to pharmacotherapy at 8 weeks (PSQI: 7.92 ± 1.98 vs. 7.89 ± 2.03, P = 0.941), with superior sustainability at the 12-week follow-up (7.45 ± 1.89 vs. 8.12 ± 2.08, P < 0.05). Salivary cortisol levels were significantly lower in the combined therapy group (0.52 ± 0.11 µg/dL) than in the control group (0.78 ± 0.15 µg/dL, P < 0.001). Multivariate regression confirmed robustness after adjusting for confounders.

Conclusion: Compared with monotherapy approaches, combined acupuncture-music therapy demonstrates superior efficacy for noise-induced sleep disorders, supporting the integration of multimodal approaches in occupational health management.

Objective: Although several studies have reported negative impacts of classroom noise on learning, few have examined students' subjective perceptions of their acoustic environment. This cross-sectional observational case study of a single classroom explored how adolescents aged 12 to 13 years evaluated their classroom soundscape and related perceptions to objective noise measurements.

Methods: Over 11 school days, several groups of students completed a questionnaire at the end of each class period (N = 957), indicating whether they felt annoyed/distracted, indifferent, or content/focused in relation to the acoustic environment, and providing free-text comments. Simultaneously, acoustic indicators (LAeq, LA10, LA90, LAmax, LA10-LA90) were recorded using calibrated sound level meters.

Results: Periods with higher LAeq, LA10, and LAmax values were significantly associated with fewer students feeling content/focused (r = -0.49 to -0.59; P < 0.05). At the individual level, correlations between acoustic measures and evaluations were weak (r = -0.14 to -0.19). Qualitative analysis of students' comments identified four perceptual modes of acoustic experience: intensity, soundscape, source, and autocentric impressions. Most students used only one mode and rarely made explicit connections between sound and learning.

Conclusion: Findings from this single-classroom case study suggest that while higher continuous and peak noise levels are modestly associated with increased annoyance and reduced focus, these effects are limited. Because some student groups visited the classroom repeatedly, the data are not fully independent; and results should be interpreted with caution. This study highlights the need for larger, multiclassroom investigations combining subjective and objective data, and for tools supporting teacher noise management and student awareness.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of music therapy on perioperative anxiety, depression and postoperative satisfaction in elderly patients undergoing surgery for distal radius fractures.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 186 patients (≥65 years) was conducted from January 2022 to December 2024. The participants were divided based on the treatment period: standard care (January 2022-June 2023, n = 92) or music therapy plus standard care (July 2023-December 2024, n = 94). Outcomes measured included anxiety and depression [Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)]; anxiety levels (Visual Analog Scale for Anxiety [VAS-A]); sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQ]); satisfaction; pain; length of hospital stay and functional recovery at preoperative, postoperative 24 hours, discharge and 2-week and 6-week follow-up timepoints.

Results: The music-therapy group demonstrated progressive improvements across all timepoints. At 6 weeks, the music therapy group maintained superior outcomes compared with standard care: HADS-Anxiety (6.05 ± 1.98 vs. 7.34 ± 2.24, P < 0.001), HADS-Depression (5.86 ± 2.07 vs. 6.69 ± 2.53, P = 0.015), VAS-A (28.83 ± 12.94 vs. 33.47 ± 15.19 mm, P = 0.026) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (6.15 ± 1.94 vs. 7.33 ± 2.18, P < 0.001). Patient satisfaction scores were significantly higher (8.46 ± 0.94 vs. 7.93 ± 1.29, P < 0.001). Hospital stay was reduced (3.21 ± 0.89 vs. 4.12 ± 1.23 days, P < 0.001), opioid consumption decreased (23.59 ± 11.67 vs. 34.56 ± 13.89 oral morphine equivalents, P < 0.001) and functional recovery was superior (disability of the arm, shoulder and hand]: 28.01 ± 11.34 vs. 38.87 ± 13.78, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Music therapy considerably reduces anxiety and depression, enhances sleep quality and satisfaction and facilitates recovery of elderly patients undergoing distal radius fracture surgery.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of ward noise on psychological health and sleep quality in patients recovering from haemorrhagic stroke (HS) surgery.

Methods: A retrospective clinical study was conducted in 230 patients who underwent surgery for HS. Patients were assigned to groups on the basis of admission timing relative to ward renovation completion, with a buffer period of 1 month. The patients were sequentially enrolled into the following two groups: a regular ward group (n = 105) before noise reduction renovations and a noise-reduction group (n = 125) after renovations. Noise levels were measured in both ward environments. Psychological health was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Recovery outcomes were measured using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Data were collected on postoperative days 1 and 14. Statistical analyses were performed using independent t-tests for between-group comparisons, paired t-tests for within-group changes and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey's HSD post-hoc analysis for multi-period noise level comparisons (α = 0.05).

Results: On postoperative day 14, the noise-reduction group demonstrated lower total HADS scores (P < 0.001) and lower global PSQI scores (P < 0.001). The noise-reduction group had lower NIHSS scores and lower mRS scores on postoperative day 14 (P < 0.001). Hospital stay duration was shorter in the noise-reduction group, and patient satisfaction scores were significantly higher (both P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Noise reduction in hospital wards significantly improves psychological health, sleep quality and recovery outcomes in patients recovering from surgery after HS. These findings underscore the importance of optimising the hospital environment to support recovery.

Background: The substantial growth in global air traffic has expanded the range of aircraft noise impacts the health outcomes, making aircraft noise a key limiting factor for future airport expansions. This study presents a comprehensive review and data-driven bibliometric analysis of the health outcomes of aircraft noise, aiming to clarify the network structure and development trends in this research field.

Methods: Relevant keywords (aircraft, airport noise hazard, annoyance, exposure, damage, risk, illness, resident, worker health, sound quality) were used to extract literature from the Web of Science database, covering the period from 2001 to May 2024. Only journal articles were retained, and publications in unrelated fields were excluded. Visualization was performed using Citespace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix.

Results: A total of 1512 articles were analyzed. The number of publications increased significantly in 2019. "Annoyance" and "exposure" were among the most frequently used keywords. The top co-cited journals were Journal of Acoustical Society of America (JASA, 2334 citations), Noise and Health (1315 citations), and Journal of Sound and Vibration (JSV, 1298 citations). The analysis also summarized preliminary quantitative results on noise metrics and health outcomes. For example, an increase of 10 dB in day-evening-night noise exposure was associated with a 1.09% increase in the exposure-response relationship for ischemic heart disease.

Conclusion: Aircraft noise has been shown to adversely affect human health, contributing to sleep disturbance, cardiovascular disease, and decreased quality of life in airport communities. This study advocates for effective measures to reduce the health impacts of airport noise on communities and highlights the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to address the complex health issues caused by aircraft noise. In the future, a comprehensive synthesis and categorization of research directions in this field could help identify emerging topics and general trends, thereby supporting the development of more effective airport noise management strategies.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of binaural beat technology (BBT) sound stimulation therapy on the physiological and psychological functioning of elderly patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: This study is a retrospective cohort study. Clinical data of 104 patients with CHD undergoing PCI from January 2022 to December 2024 were retrospectively analysed. The patients were grouped according to the time of introduction of the hospital's postoperative therapy plan into the conventional group (n = 53, patients receiving standard therapy between January 2022 and May 2023) and the BBT group (n = 51, patients receiving standard therapy plus BBT therapy between June 2023 and December 2024). Comparisons included physiological indices (diastolic blood pressure [DBP], systolic blood pressure [SBP], heart rate [HR]); sleep quality (Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire [RCSQ] score, polysomnography [PSG] parameters [slow-wave sleep duration, total sleep time, nocturnal awakenings]); perceived stress (10-item Perceived Stress Scale [PSS-10]); mood states (Brief Profile of Mood States [BPOMS]) and psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS] anxiety subscore, depression subscore and total score).

Results: One week after the operation, the BBT group had lower levels of DBP, SBP, HR, PSS-10 score, BPOMS score, HADS anxiety, depression dimension scores and total HADS score; higher RCSQ score; longer deep sleep time and total sleep time and fewer night awakenings than the conventional group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: BBT sound stimulation therapy improves haemodynamic stability, enhances sleep architecture, reduces perceived stress, ameliorates mood disturbances and alleviates psychological distress in elderly patients with CHD post-PCI.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of ward noise reduction on physiological indicators and psychological stress responses in patients after skin plastic surgery.

Method: This retrospective study analysed data from 130 patients. The conventional group comprised 68 patients who did not receive noise reduction management between August 2021 and June 2023, whereas the noise reduction group comprised 62 patients who received such management between July 2023 and August 2024. Wound pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at multiple time points. Psychological stress responses were measured with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Sleep quality was assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), and physiological indicators included heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Ward's sound intensity was also recorded. Comparisons were made between groups before and 2 weeks after noise reduction.

Results: Two weeks after noise reduction, the noise reduction group demonstrated significantly lower VAS scores, State Anxiety Inventory and Trait Anxiety Inventory subscale scores of the STAI, BDI scores, AIS scores, HR, SBP and DBP than the conventional group (P < 0.05). Ward sound intensity was also significantly lower in the noise reduction group than in the conventional group within the 2-week period (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Ward noise reduction can alleviate early postoperative pain in patients undergoing skin plastic surgery, reduce psychological stress responses, their associated physiological effects and improve sleep quality.

Despite increasing awareness of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), unsafe listening behaviours remain prevalent, particularly amongst young adults using personal listening devices. Research indicates that awareness campaigns alone are insufficient in changing behaviour due to psychological biases, social norms and environmental constraints. Whilst these campaigns may increase knowledge, they often fail to address the behavioural and structural barriers that drive unsafe listening habits. In this paper, a multidimensional approach to NIHL prevention is presented, integrating behavioural science, technology and policy interventions. By examining the cognitive, social and environmental factors influencing listening behaviours, this paper highlights the need for interventions beyond traditional awareness efforts, emphasising behaviourally driven strategies that foster sustainable change.

Background: Tolerability issues with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) have spurred interest in nonpharmacological alternatives like sound-based interventions (wind instrument training, singing and music therapy) for improving upper airway function and sleep quality.

Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (through March 2024) identified studies evaluating the effects of wind instrument training, vocal interventions (singing or speech therapy) or music therapy on OSA-related outcomes and sleep quality. Eight studies, specifically, four randomised controlled trials, one before-after quasi-experimental study and three cross-sectional observational studies, were included.

Results: Wind instrument training, particularly that with high-resistance instruments, showed moderate effectiveness in reducing OSA severity and improving sleep outcomes, although no significant improvements in pulmonary function were reported. Music-based interventions (e.g., passive bedtime listening) had mixed effects on sleep quality. Some evidence indicated that structured vocal exercises (singing or speech therapy) can reduce snoring and enhance outcomes when combined with CPAP, but results varied across studies. Overall, sound-based interventions demonstrated potential benefits for OSA, although heterogeneity amongst studies was high.

Conclusions: This review highlights sound-based interventions as a unique and promising nonpharmacological treatment for OSA. In contrast to CPAP, which has a mechanical approach, these strategies aim to improve airway patency via upper airway muscle training and may serve as alternatives or adjuncts for patients intolerant of CPAP. Although moderate evidence supports their ability to improve sleep quality and OSA symptoms, outcomes remain inconsistent. The noninvasive, low-cost nature of sound-based interventions underscores substantial clinical potential. Large multicentre trials with long follow-ups and direct comparisons with CPAP are warranted to validate efficacy and clarify underlying mechanisms.

Noise in schools is widely recognized as having detrimental effects on cognitive performance, communication, and emotional well-being. However, schools are dynamic and vibrant environments in which sound is not merely an incidental element but a defining aspect of daily experience. This opinion paper advocates for a paradigm shift in school acoustic design from a narrow emphasis on noise control to a holistic soundscape approach that balances the reduction of negative sounds with the enhancement of positive acoustic elements. Sound should be considered a resource that actively supports well-being, engagement, and learning, rather than solely a source of disturbance. Drawing on recent research and user perspectives, several design recommendations are proposed, including the incorporation of restorative natural sounds (e.g., birdsong, rainfall), the implementation of acoustic zoning, the creation of culturally sensitive soundscapes, and the use of sound as a tool for both engagement and restoration. These strategies extend beyond classroom acoustics to address diverse school spaces, including corridors, dining halls, and outdoor areas. By integrating participatory approaches and ongoing evaluation, school environments can be transformed into soundscapes that promote comfort, connection, and resilience for both students and teachers.