Environmental noise and asthma in children: sex-specific differences

There is evidence that stress increases the risk of asthma. Chronic noise exposure is known to act as an unspecific stressor, but little is known about its effect on the risk of asthma in children. The aim of this study was to compare subjectively reported noise annoyance in 12-year-old asthmatic and non-asthmatic children with special regard to sex-specific differences.

In a German multi-center birth cohort study we assessed the annoyance by different sources of environmental noise, doctor-diagnosed asthma, and potential confounders by questionnaire. The comparisons between asthmatic and non-asthmatic children were stratified by sex.

A total of 336 boys and 316 girls were included in the analysis. Prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma was 13% in boys and 5% in girls; 73% of the boys and 74% of the girls reported at least some degree of noise annoyance during the day and night time. In girls, asthma was associated with a significantly increased total noise annoyance at night (adjusted odds ratio aOR 1.5, 95%CI 1.1;2.1), for noise within the home/apartment (aOR 3.5, 95%CI 1.5;8.0), and in or around the house (aOR 3.3, 95%CI 1.7;6.3). No statistical significant effects were seen in boys.

Noise annoyance, particularly at night or caused by domestic sources, is associated with increased asthma prevalence in girls but not boys. Further research is needed to identify underlying mechanisms of these sex-specific differences.