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- Bodin, Theo, et al.
(författare)
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Survey context and question wording affects self reported annoyance due to road traffic noise: a comparison between two cross-sectional studies.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Environmental health : a global access science source. - 1476-069X. ; 11:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Surveys are a common way to measure annoyance due to road traffic noise, but the method has some draw-backs. Survey context, question wording and answer alternatives could affect participation and answers and could have implications when comparing studies and/or performing pooled analyses. The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in annoyance reporting due to road traffic noise in two types of surveys of which one was introduced broadly and the other with the clearly stated aim of investigating noise and health METHODS: Data was collected from two surveys carried out in the municipality of Malmo, southern Sweden in 2007 and 2008 (n = 2612 and n = 3810). The first survey stated an aim of investigating residential environmental exposure, especially noise and health. The second survey was a broad public health survey stating a broader aim. The two surveys had comparable questions regarding noise annoyance, although one used a 5-point scale and the other a 4-point scale. We used geographic information systems (GIS) to assess the average road and railway noise (LAeq,24h) at the participants' residential address. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios for annoyance in relation to noise exposure. RESULTS: Annoyance at least once a week due to road traffic noise was significantly more prevalent in the survey investigating environment and health compared to the public health survey at levels >45 dB(A), but not at lower exposure levels. However no differences in annoyance were found when comparing the extreme alternatives "never" and "every day". In the study investigating environment and health, "Noise sensitive" persons were more likely to readily respond to the survey and were more annoyed by road traffic noise compared to the other participants in that survey. CONCLUSIONS: The differences in annoyance reporting between the two surveys were mainly due to different scales, suggesting that extreme alternatives are to prefer before dichotomization when comparing results between the two. Although some findings suggested that noise-sensitive individuals were more likely to respond to the survey investigating noise and health, we could not find convincing evidence that contextual differences affected either answers or participation.
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- Gidlöf-Gunnarsson, Anita, 1957, et al.
(författare)
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A full-scale intervention example of the quiet-side concept in a residential area exposed to road traffic noise: Effects on the perceived sound environment and general annoyance
- 2010
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Ingår i: 39th International Congress on Noise Control Engineering 2010, INTER-NOISE 2010; Lisbon; Portugal; 13 June 2010 through 16 June 2010. - 9781617823961 ; 3, s. 2468-2477
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The “quiet side concept” was tested in a full-scale intervention project in a residential area exposed to high sound levels from road traffic. Through new buildings that fill in gaps between buildings facing the highway, a considerable rebuilding of the dwellings and erection of a noise barrier, less noise-exposed courtyards and sides of the dwellings were created, although the definition for a “quiet side” (LAeq,24h <45 dB, free field value) was not reached. A longitudinal questionnaire study was conducted before (2004) and after (2009) the interventions. The results in the after-study 2009 show that noise levels, in general, were reduced with 5-10 dB at the most traffic exposed side and with 4-10 dB at the less noise exposed side (courtyards), general noise annoyance was decreased substantially, and the perceived sound environment indoors and outdoors was improved for three out of five investigated building sites. Although the implemented extensive interventions and the significantly lower noise levels, there were still a majority of the respondents in the residential area that perceived the outdoor environment as dominated by sounds from road traffic.
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- Gidlöf-Gunnarsson, Anita, 1957, et al.
(författare)
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Attractive "quiet" courtyards: A potential modifier of urban residents' responses to road traffic noise?
- 2010
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - 1660-4601. ; 7:9, s. 3359-3375
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The present paper explores the influence of the physical environmental qualities of “quiet” courtyards (degree of naturalness and utilization) on residents’ noise responses. A questionnaire study was conducted in urban residential areas with road-traffic noise exposure between LAeq,24h 58 to 68 dB at the most exposed façade. The dwellings had “quiet” indoor section/s and faced a “quiet” outdoor courtyard (LAeq,24h < 48 dB façade reflex included). Data were collected from 385 residents and four groups were formed based on sound-level categories (58–62 and 63–68 dB) and classification of the “quiet” courtyards into groups with low and high physical environmental quality. At both sound-level categories, the results indicate that access to high-quality “quiet” courtyards is associated with less noise annoyance and noise-disturbed outdoor activities among the residents. Compared to low-quality “quiet” courtyards, high-quality courtyards can function as an attractive restorative environment providing residents with a positive soundscape, opportunities for rest, relaxation and play as well as social relations that potentially reduce the adverse effects of noise. However, access to quietness and a high-quality courtyard can only compensate partly for high sound levels at façades facing the streets, thus, 16% and 29% were still noise annoyed at 58–62 and 63–68 dB, respectively. Implications of the “quiet”-side concept are discussed.
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- Gidlöf-Gunnarsson, Anita, 1957, et al.
(författare)
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Comparative studies on railway and road traffic noise annoyances and the importance of number of trains
- 2011
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Ingår i: 11th International Congress on Noise as a Public Health Problem (ICBEN), 24-28 July, 2011, London, UK.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Railway noise is perceived as less annoying than road traffic noise, both in terms of general annoyance and sleep disturbances according to dose-response relationships from meta-analyses. However, findings in recent years from Japanese studies show, unlike most European studies, that railway noise is perceived as more annoying than road traffic noise at sound levels >LAeq,24h 55 dB. This applies particularly to the Japanese Shinkansen express trains as well as conventional trains. Several of the Japanese studies have been done in areas with a very large number of trains (about 500-800 trains/day). In the present study, the following research questions were asked: How does a large number of trains affect noise annoyance and can the differences between Japanese studies (railway noise more annoying than road traffic noise) and European studies (railway noise less annoying than road traffic noise) in part be due to major differences in the number of trains? Socio-acoustic surveys (n=1689) were conducted in residential areas exposed to railway noise with different number of trains (124 trains/day vs. 481 trains/day) and road traffic noise (LAeq,24h 45-65 dB in all areas) The findings show that the number of trains/day, and not only the equivalent sound levels influence how railway noise is perceived. When the number of trains is very large, (481 trains/day), the proportion who are annoyed and report disturbed activities is significantly higher than in a situation with fewer trains (124 trains/day) at equal sound levels and in comparison to road traffic noise >LAeq,24h 55 dB.
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- Gidlöf-Gunnarsson, Anita, 1957, et al.
(författare)
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Good sound environment in green areas modify road-traffic noise annoyance at home
- 2009
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 8th European Conference on Noise Control 2009 (EURONOISE 2009). - uo : Curran Associates, Inc.. ; , s. 1579-1587
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Konferensbidrag (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- There has been a growing recognition among noise researchers that natural elements and natural areas of the built environment have potentials to reduce annoyance due to traffic noise. It has been suggested that presence of vegetation (e.g., trees, bushes, grass, flowers) contributes to an aesthetically pleasing environment, which influence overall residential satisfaction and people?s perception of the noise. Other expected benefits of natural elements/areas are prevention or modification of adverse effects of work-, personal-, or environmental stress (e.g., noise) through restoration processes. Within the large TVANE-project, the present study examined the effect of green areas (park or similar at walking distance) on noise responses in residential settings (n=468) exposed to road traffic noise (LAeq,24h 45 to 65 dB). A binary multiple logistic regression analysis, with sound exposure as the prime variable assumed to predict general noise annoyance at home, indicated that presence of green areas, a closer distance to it from the subject?s home, and perceived green-area characteristics (good sound environment, high attractiveness and potentials for recreational activities) significantly lowered noise annoyance. The results suggest that the exposure-response relationship between noise and annoyance is influenced by access to nearby green areas provided that they have good environmental quality, particularly regarding the perceived sound environment
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- Gidlöf-Gunnarsson, Anita, 1957, et al.
(författare)
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Ljudlandskap för bättre hälsa. Resultat och slutsatser från ett multidisciplinärt forskningsprogram : Soundscape Support to Health. Final Report.
- 2008
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Vikten av tillgång till goda ljudlandskap för vår hälsa och vårt välbefinnande, vad som kännetecknar sådana goda ljudlandskap, hur man mäter kvalitén och hur man åstadkommer goda ljudlandskap i och kring bostäder och i rekreationsområden har varit centrala frågor för forskningsprogrammet Ljudlandskap för bättre hälsa. Genom samarbetet mellan forskare inom miljömedicin, miljöpsykologi och akustik har programmet skapat förutsättningar för bred kunskapsutveckling och framtagning av helhetslösningar som i grunden baseras på påverkan av ljud/buller på hälsa och välbefinnande. De viktigaste resultaten finns sammanfattade i denna rapport som finns att ladda ned som en pdf-fil under www.ljudlandskap.acoustics.nu
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