Association between aircraft, road and railway traffic noise and depression in a large case-control study based on secondary data

• Published in: Environmental research Vol. 152; pp. 263 - 271
• Main Authors: Seidler, Andreas, Hegewald, Janice, Seidler, Anna Lene, Schubert, Melanie, Wagner, Mandy, Dröge, Patrik, Haufe, Eva, Schmitt, Jochen, Swart, Enno, Zeeb, Hajo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.01.2017
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aircraft; Aircraft noise; Airports; Case-Control Studies; Case-control study; Depression; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - etiology; Environmental Exposure; Female; Germany - epidemiology; health insurance; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Motor Vehicles; Noise, Transportation - adverse effects; Odds Ratio; people; Railroads; Railway noise; risk; risk estimate; Road traffic noise; traffic; Depression; Case-control study; Aircraft noise; Railway noise; Road traffic noise
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.10.017

Few studies have examined the relationship between traffic noise and depression providing inconclusive results. This large case-control study is the first to assess and directly compare depression risks by aircraft, road traffic and railway noise. The study population included individuals aged ≥40 years that were insured by three large statutory health insurance funds and were living in the region of Frankfurt international airport. Address-specific exposure to aircraft, road and railway traffic noise in 2005 was estimated. Based on insurance claims and prescription data, 77,295 cases with a new clinical depression diagnosis between 2006 and 2010 were compared with 578,246 control subjects. For road traffic noise, a linear exposure-risk relationship was found with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.17 (95% CI=1.10–1.25) for 24-h continuous sound levels ≥70dB. For aircraft noise, the risk estimates reached a maximum OR of 1.23 (95% CI=1.19–1.28) at 50–55dB and decreased at higher exposure categories. For railway noise, risk estimates peaked at 60–65dB (OR=1.15, 95% CI=1.08–1.22). The highest OR of 1.42 (95% CI=1.33–1.52) was found for a combined exposure to noise above 50dB from all three sources. This study indicates that traffic noise exposure might lead to depression. As a potential explanation for the decreasing risks at high traffic noise levels, vulnerable people might actively cope with noise (e.g. insulate or move away).