Exposure to road traffic noise and behavioral problems in Chinese schoolchildren: A cross-sectional study

Transportation noise is second only to air pollution as an environmental contributor to adverse health outcomes in Western countries. However, no studies investigated the association between road traffic noise and behavioral problems among schoolchildren in China.

To investigate the association between exposure to road traffic noise at home and behavioral problems in Chinese schoolchildren.

From January to June 2017, we screened 3236 children aged 7-13 years in Guangzhou (Guangdong, China) from the first investigation of an ongoing school-based cohort study with complete information on behavioral problems and residential geolocation. Residential road traffic noise exposure levels were assessed using a validated modeling method in different periods of the day, including daytime (L_day), nighttime (L_night), and weighted 24-hr (L_dn). The annual mean concentration of nitrogen dioxide was also modeled in our study. Behavioral problems were assessed by the parent-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Generalized linear mixed models were utilized to estimate the associations between road traffic noise and behavioral problems.

In the main adjusted model, a 10-dB increase in L_dn was associated with 0.33 (95% CI: 0.08, 0.59), 0.08 (95% CI: -0.01, 0.17), and 0.09 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.16) increases in three subscales score for total difficulties score, emotional problems, and conduct problems, respectively. The same increase in L_dn was also associated with the abnormal total difficulties score (OR = 1.25, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.55), emotional problems (OR = 1.19, 95%CI: 0.98, 1.44), and conduct problems (OR = 1.28, 95%CI:1.02, 1.63). Externalising behavior appears more susceptible to traffic noise than internalising behavior. NO₂ had a small impact on the associations between L_dn and behavioral problems. Our estimates were generally robust in several sensitivity analyses.

Residential road traffic noise exposure might be related to increased behavioral problems in Chinese schoolchildren, such as emotional symptoms and conduct problems.