New research on thousands of British children suggests that exposure to noisy neighborhoods could raise a child's odds for anxiety Noise can interrupt sleep or impair a child's cognitive development, perhaps upping anxiety Air pollution during gestation or infancy was also linked to mental health issues WEDNESDAY, May 29, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Children exposed to traffic and other noise in their neighborhoods may be at higher risk for anxiety, researchers conclude, while air pollution could raise risks for other mental health woes. "Childhood and adolescent noise pollution exposure could increase anxiety by increasing stress and disrupting sleep," wrote a team led by , of Bristol Medical School in Bristol, U.K.
The findings were published May 28 in the journal . In the study, Newbury's team looked at data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, which tracked the health of children born in England between 1991 and 1993. A total of 9,065 supplied data on their mental health into adulthood.
About 1 in every 5 reported some history of psychosis, 11.4% reported depression and 9.7% reported .
The researchers said that kids who'd been exposed to "noise pollution" in their neighborhoods during childhood and/or adolescence had about a 20% higher odds for anxiety as they grew older. Neighborhood air pollution was also a risk factor for mental health issues: Children exposed to relatively high levels of particulate matter (tiny bits of pollution entering the lungs) .
