Association Between Perceived Noise Pollution and Sleep Quality: Findings from the 2018 Community Health Survey

This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between sleep quality and perceived noise.

A cross-sectional study involving 185,246 adults (81,854 men and 103,392 women) participating in the 2018 Korea Community Health Survey (KCHS) was conducted. Subjective sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), while perceived noise pollutants were categorized into two groups: perceived noise pollution (n = 43,638) and perceived non-noise pollution (n = 141,608). We used chi-square tests and independent sample t tests to compare differences between the perceived noise group and the non-perceived noise group, as well as multivariate logistic regression analysis to calculate adjusted odds ratios (OR) for sleep quality variables.

The perceived noise pollution group had significantly poor psychosocial variables (stress, depression assessed by Patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)) than the perceived non-noise pollution group. Poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5) was associated with perceived noise pollution (OR 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30-1.36, P < 0.001). In addition, sleep quality (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.06-1.13, P < 0.001); sleep latency (OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.09-1.14, P < 0.001); sleep duration (OR 1.10; 95% CI 1.07-1.13, P < 0.001); sleep efficiency (OR 1.20; 95% CI 1.16-1.25, P < 0.001); sleep disturbance (OR 1.46; 95% CI 1.42-1.51, P < 0.001); sleep medication use (OR 1.13; 95% CI 1.07-1.20, P = 0.002); and daytime dysfunction (OR 1.23; 95% CI 1.20-1.26, P < 0.001) were associated with perceived noise pollution after confounding variables.

Perceived noise pollution was significantly associated with poor sleep quality. Perceived noise annoyance could be used as a signal of health effects in the public community.