Residential traffic noise exposure and headaches: Results from the population-based heinz nixdorf recall study

The link between headaches and exposure to loud noise in occupational settings has been established. However, the effect of less intense but chronic residential traffic noise exposure on headache occurrence is less clear.

We included 3,025 participants from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study in Germany for this cross-sectional analysis.

Residential road traffic noise exposure at the 2006-2008 address was modelled in A-weighted decibels (dB(A)) according to the European Noise Directive (2002/49/EC) for 24-hour (L_den) and night-time noise (22-6 h, L_night). Indoor traffic noise exposure was obtained by modifying L_den and L_night based on residence orientation, window type, and personal window opening habits. Traffic noise exposure below 55, 45 dB(A), 35 and 25 dB(A) were set as the reference for L_den, L_night, L_den,indoor and L_night,indoor, respectively. Average number of days with headache per month over the past three months was ascertained during the follow-up (2011-2015) medical interview.

Prevalence Odds Ratios (POR) of having eight or more headaches per month per 5 dB(A) increase in traffic noise exposure were calculated using logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, sport, number of chronic conditions, years of education and smoking status.

The mean age of participants was 58.3. Mean L_den was 54 dB(A). Median monthly headache days was one. No association was seen between traffic noise exposure and having ≥8 headaches/month for all the examined traffic noise indicators. However, traffic noise was positively associated with traffic noise-annoyance and insomnia; and night-time traffic noise-annoyance and insomnia were positively associated with headache.

In conclusion, our data did not provide any evidence for an association between chronic traffic noise exposure and prevalence of headaches at this population's exposure levels. This should be explored in different populations given that this is the first study of its type and that noise exposure was generally low in our population.