FACTORS AFFECTING ROAD TRAFFIC NOISE ANNOYANCE AMONG WHITE-COLLAR EMPLOYEES WORKING IN TEHRAN

The effect of personal and attitudinal factors, noise level, hearing status and psychological traits on traffic-related noise annoyance among white-collar employees working in Tehran has been carefully analyzed. This survey has been conducted by interviewing 495 citizens working in non-manufacturing industries in Tehran, using questionnaires, Weinstein noise sensitivity scale, Beck’s depression, Buss and perry’s aggression, Zung’s anxiety, job satisfaction and Eysenc’s personality inventory. These citizens were office workers or store employees. Noise annoyance was determined both by numerical-based questionnaire criterion and by verbal index. Personal information, attitudinal factors and hearing conditions were determined using a general questionnaire. The amount of workplace noise the participants were exposed to was directly measured at their workplaces. It was revealed that among personal factors, age (p=0.030), marital status (p=0.004), residential period (p=0.001) and wealth (p=0.04) were related to noise annoyance. Attitudinal factors including sensitivity to noise (p=0.001), individual’s opinion on the need to control the noise (p=0.000) and individuals’ assessment of the amount of the workplace ambient noise (p= 0.000) were found to have relationship with noise annoyance. No meaningful relationship was seen between the equivalent noise level (p=0.879) and statistical noise level of L90 (p=0.909). The present study revealed that among all effective factors involved in noise annoyance, attitudinal factors had the most significant role in this regard.

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