Relationship Between Work-Related Noise Exposure and Cognitive Impairment: A Cross-Sectional Study in China

Background: Noise exposure and the risk of cognitive impairment are currently major public health issues. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between noise exposure and early impairment of cognitive function from the perspective of occupational epidemiology and to provide evidence for the long-term prevention and treatment of dementia in the context of aging. Methods: This study was conducted in China between May and August 2021. The independent variables were the type of hazardous factors, duration of noise exposure, perceived noise intensity, and cumulative noise exposure (CNE). The dependent variable was cognitive function, which was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Multiple linear and logistic regression were used to analyze the relationship between noise exposure and cognitive function and to establish an effect curve. Results: The detection rates of cognitive dysfunction using the MMSE and MoCA were 1.1% and 36.2%, respectively. The predicted MMSE and MoCA scores showed a downward trend within the CNE value ranging from 90–140 dB.time. Each unit increase in CNE decreased cognitive function scores by 0.025 (0.037, 0.013) and 0.020 (0.037, 0.003) points,respectively. Conclusions: From the perspective of occupational epidemiology, these findings reveal a potential link between long-term noise exposure and early cognitive impairment.