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Road Traffic Noise Exposure and Birth Outcomes: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Author

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  • Angel M. Dzhambov

    (Department of Hygiene and Ecomedicine, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria)

  • Peter Lercher

    (Institute for Highway Engineering and Transport Planning, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria)

Abstract

Unlike the other WHO evidence reviews, the systematic review on birth outcomes could not provide a quantitative estimate of the effect of environmental noise. With that in mind, we aimed to update it with additional studies published through to 12 May, 2019 to allow for a formal meta-analysis of the association of residential road traffic noise with birth weight, low birth weight (LBW), small for gestational age (SGA), and preterm birth (PTB). The quality effects and random effects estimators were used for meta-analysis and the robustness of findings was tested in several sensitivity analyses. Nine studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, from which we extracted seven estimates for birth weight ( n = 718,136 births) and LBW ( n = 620,221), and five for SGA ( n = 547,256) and PTB ( n = 74,609). We found −8.26 g (95% CI: −20.61 g, 4.10 g) ( I 2 = 87%) lower birth weight associated with a 10 dB(A) increase in day-evening-night noise level (L den ), and this effect became significant in sensitivity analyses. No evidence of significant effects was found for LBW (OR = 1.06; 95% CI: 0.91, 1.23) ( I 2 = 49%), SGA (OR = 1.02; 95% CI: 0.86, 1.21) ( I 2 = 90%), or PTB (OR = 1.00; 95% CI: 0.79, 1.27) ( I 2 = 69%). The quality of evidence for continuous birth weight was graded as “moderate”, while for the other outcomes it was deemed “very low”. Finally, we discuss limitations of the risk of bias assessment criteria employed by Nieuwenhuijsen et al.

Suggested Citation

  • Angel M. Dzhambov & Peter Lercher, 2019. "Road Traffic Noise Exposure and Birth Outcomes: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-20, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:14:p:2522-:d:248402
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mathias Basner & Sarah McGuire, 2018. "WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Effects on Sleep," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-45, March.
    2. David Moher & Alessandro Liberati & Jennifer Tetzlaff & Douglas G Altman & The PRISMA Group, 2009. "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-6, July.
    3. Charlotte Clark & Katarina Paunovic, 2018. "WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Quality of Life, Wellbeing and Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-27, October.
    4. Rainer Guski & Dirk Schreckenberg & Rudolf Schuemer, 2017. "WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Annoyance," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-39, December.
    5. Elise Van Kempen & Maribel Casas & Göran Pershagen & Maria Foraster, 2018. "WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Cardiovascular and Metabolic Effects: A Summary," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-59, February.
    6. Dorota Jarosińska & Marie-Ève Héroux & Poonum Wilkhu & James Creswick & Jos Verbeek & Jördis Wothge & Elizabet Paunović, 2018. "Development of the WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: An Introduction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-7, April.
    7. Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen & Gordana Ristovska & Payam Dadvand, 2017. "WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Adverse Birth Outcomes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-16, October.
    8. Gordana Ristovska & Helga Elvira Laszlo & Anna L. Hansell, 2014. "Reproductive Outcomes Associated with Noise Exposure — A Systematic Review of the Literature," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-22, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Angel M. Dzhambov & Peter Lercher & Drozdstoy Stoyanov & Nadezhda Petrova & Stoyan Novakov & Donka D. Dimitrova, 2021. "University Students’ Self-Rated Health in Relation to Perceived Acoustic Environment during the COVID-19 Home Quarantine," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-21, March.
    2. Sylvester Dodzi Nyadanu & Gizachew Assefa Tessema & Ben Mullins & Bernard Kumi-Boateng & Michelle Lee Bell & Gavin Pereira, 2020. "Ambient Air Pollution, Extreme Temperatures and Birth Outcomes: A Protocol for an Umbrella Review, Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-18, November.
    3. Ben Senkler & Julius Freymueller & Susanne Lopez Lumbi & Claudia Hornberg & Hannah-Lea Schmid & Kristina Hennig-Fast & Gernot Horstmann & Timothy Mc Call, 2022. "Urbanicity—Perspectives from Neuroscience and Public Health: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-16, December.
    4. Angel M. Dzhambov & Peter Lercher, 2019. "Road Traffic Noise Exposure and Depression/Anxiety: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-22, October.
    5. Charlotte Clark & Clare Crumpler & Hilary Notley, 2020. "Evidence for Environmental Noise Effects on Health for the United Kingdom Policy Context: A Systematic Review of the Effects of Environmental Noise on Mental Health, Wellbeing, Quality of Life, Cancer," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-34, January.
    6. Raquel Nieto-Álvarez & María L. de la Hoz-Torres & Antonio J. Aguilar & María Dolores Martínez-Aires & Diego P. Ruiz, 2022. "Proposal of Combined Noise and Hand-Arm Vibration Index for Occupational Exposure: Application to a Study Case in the Olive Sector," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-23, November.
    7. Valentin Simoncic & Séverine Deguen & Christophe Enaux & Stéphanie Vandentorren & Wahida Kihal-Talantikite, 2022. "A Comprehensive Review on Social Inequalities and Pregnancy Outcome—Identification of Relevant Pathways and Mechanisms," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-43, December.

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